


The Show Must Go On...

by Aspiring_TrashPanda



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Battle of the Bands, Bepo the Samoyed, Cameos on cameos on cameos, Donquixote Doflamingo Being an Asshole, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and good times with a dash of angst, Franky has big dad energy, M/M, Mentions of Depression/Anxiety, Slow Burn, Underage Drinking, singer/songwriter Law
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:02:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 145,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28532598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspiring_TrashPanda/pseuds/Aspiring_TrashPanda
Summary: The Straw Hats are the best cover band in Sabaody, known for their energetic pop-punk sound and unrivaled enthusiasm on stage.  However, when the opportunity to compete in an illustrious Battle of the Bands arises, the group has to incorporate the help of a classmate to write an original song.Tensions flare as change overwhelms the teens and they must navigate an obstacle course plagued with various landmines, including (but not limited to) jealousy, the struggle of dating a bandmate, and the journey of self-identity.  Can The Straw Hats keep it together in this music-infused coming of age story long enough to win the Battle of the Bands?Updated every Sunday :)
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nami/Usopp (One Piece), Nico Robin/Roronoa Zoro, Portgas D. Ace/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 78
Kudos: 101





	1. Troublemaker

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME TO "The Show Must Go On..."
> 
> Thank you so much for for checking this out :)
> 
> Additional tags will be added as more relationships and events are revealed throughout the stor. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece. It is the brilliant IP of Eiichiro Oda.  
> I also do not own any of the songs referenced in this fic (unless stated otherwise).
> 
> The titles of all chapters will be names of songs that I feel best represent the chapter's POV character in this moment of the story. Of course, music and lyrics are open to interpretation, so you may not agree with my song choices, and that's okay :) I simply hope that my song choices add to the overall 'highschool garage band vibes'.
> 
> This particular chapter is Troublemaker by Weezer.
> 
> Without further ado, let the show begin...

5 more minutes.

  
Monkey D. Luffy had to sit through five more minutes of whatever the teacher was blabbering on about before he was free. He could do it. 

  
Just 5 more minutes and then he could expel all of his pent up energy the only way he knew how. 

  
There was the uncomfortable screech of a dry erase marker that was low on ink, followed by the swish of whatever had been previously written being wiped off the whiteboard. The low chatter of impatient students was beginning to swell. The ticking of the clock remained the loudest sound of all.

  
“Quiet down, I have you up until the bell rings!” Mr. Sohl laughed, as if he had already given up on taming his class in the last few moments of the school day.

  
Luffy liked the elderly man, who’s afro was twice the width of his tall and skinny frame. He simply found him more entertaining when he was demonstrating music instead of teaching it. Not everyone had the opportunity to be taught by a retired jazz musician who could play any instrument you gave him. His pockets empty of any money, he had learned the hard way that he should never bet against Mr. Sohl when music was involved. 

  
The brass of the trombone that Luffy held in his hands was beginning to warm as his palms grew sweaty and he bounced his knee up and down. He took a deep breath in, puffing out his cheeks and seeing how long he could hold his breath, purely out of curiosity. 

  
His exhale rustled sheet music propped before him, as well as the dark shaggy hair of the boy who sat in front of him. The boy turned his head to scowl at the fidgeting teen behind him. 

  
“Watch it, Luffy,” He warned in a low voice, yellow eyes glinting in annoyance as he turned back to the tenor saxophone he had positioned in his lap. Fingers tattooed with letters that spelt out DEATH tapped noiselessly against the levers and triggers along the side of the golden instrument, preparing for the music teacher to lead them through one last round of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. 

  
Luffy blinked. He wondered why Trafalgar Law had such a chip on his shoulder.

  
Mr. Sohl, or Brook, as he preferred Luffy to call him outside of school, counted them in and continued to conduct the class through the last page of the music. Luffy revelled in the moments when he could push out the extending bar of the trombone dramatically. It made a deep sound that reminded him of an angry elephant. 

  
Salvation came as the bell chimed, signalling 2:40 pm, and therefore the end of the day.

  
Leaping to his feet, he packed up his instrument with exceptional speed, sliding it into the cubby behind the music room’s drum kit and bounding towards the door of the classroom. As he passed by the skinny teacher, he skidded to a stop with just enough time to spew in one breath, “Hey, Brook! We have a gig this week at _Shakky's_ and you should come! We’re on at 9pm and tickets are $10 and Franky is going too so you won’t be the only old dude there!” 

  
He inhaled deeply after completely emptying his lungs.

  
Brook turned on his heel from where he was wiping down the entirety of the white board, nodding enthusiastically. He beamed widely and let out another hearty, high pitched laugh. “You know I wouldn’t miss a performance by the best cover band in the region! Miss Nami already made sure to let me know in third period. She was kind enough to offer to bring me a ticket tomorrow.”

  
“Sick! See you tomorrow, Brook!” Luffy grinned, booking it out of the room with a quick wave. 

  
“Luffy! It’s Mr. Sohl here!”

  
He ignored the teacher’s shout as he sped into the hallway, already teeming with students flocking to their lockers. He took the stairs two at a time, squeezing in between people who were walking too slowly for his taste, and cackling mischievously when anyone grumbled in irritation. 

  
The stairs were too narrow, in his opinion, but that was to be expected for Grand Line Institute. 

  
The school was old. Like, super old. We’re talking _founded in 1852_ old. In fact, it was one of the oldest school’s in all of Ontario, Canada, and that was pretty much the only talking point in the small city that was Sabaody. A heritage building, of course, came with stunning tall carved wooden ceilings, a beautiful arched entryway, tasteful vines that decorated the brick exterior, and an uncommon green copper roof. Unfortunately, those pros went hand in hand with many cons, including – but not limited to – an ancient auditorium that always reeked of moth balls, rusty lockers that had probably only been replaced once in the entire operating history of the school, a small mouse problem, and, worst of all, no air-conditioning. 

  
Thus, narrow spaces were to be expected, and one could argue that as one of the many reasons an additional area was added to the school in later years, containing two more staircases, a library, and the cafeteria. Thankfully, these areas had access to chilled air, and were awfully popular in the summertime. 

  
As Luffy ducked and dodged his way through the swarm of teens in the tiny staircase, he considered that air-conditioning would be rather welcome right now, as fighting against the current of bodies had made him rather sweaty. 

  
Red faced and panting, he emerged from the stairs, skipped over to his locker at the end of the third floor hallway, and swiftly unlocked it. Priority number one was always the same. He reached into the metal rectangle and retrieved his yellow baseball cap, tugging it backwards onto his head. His Uncle Shanks had given him the hat. He loved his hat. It was a very important hat. 

  
“Well Luffy, now that your thinking cap is on, care to say hi to your friends?”

  
“Huh?” He poked his head past the open locker door to see six people gathered around, unlocking the nearby stack of identical lockers.   
The red-headed girl who had made the comment rolled her eyes and bopped him on the head with her fist, “I take it back. The hat doesn’t make you smarter.”

  
Nami wore a frown, though her light brown doe eyes shone playfully as she reached into the locker next to Luffy’s and began to collect her things in her teal backpack. She slung the bag over the shoulders of her her pale blue cardigan, adjusting the white camisole she wore underneath. She then tugged her long fiery locks out from where they were caught beneath the bag straps, adjusting her orange hair in the magnetic mirror attached to the door of her locker. When she was satisfied, she placed her hands on her hips and looked expectantly at the group.

  
“If the school didn’t make me take it off every day, then I wouldn’t have to ignore you all before I put it back on,” Luffy pouted, his dark eyes following his friend’s gaze. 

  
Usopp, a skinny male of average height, rocked back and forth on the heels of his worn sneakers, his curly hair bobbing against his shoulders with the action. Luffy noted that his curls were pulled back into a puffy ponytail, and he wondered just how wild his hair would be if left to its own accord. He shoved his dark hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans and squished his peculiarly long nose in confusion as he added, “Luffy, nobody said you had to ignore us without your hat on.”

  
Luffy mirrored Usopp’s actions as he thought they looked fun. Swaying on the heels of his red converse and placing his own hands in the pockets of his denim shorts, he protested, “But it’s part of who I _am_. And you guys are part of who I am. You go together.”

  
In reality, he had been too busy looking forward to the next couple of hours to notice the group by his locker, but playing along was always amusing. 

  
A slightly older teen clad in a green shirt with grey sleeves, stretched tight over his muscular build, lifted a large head to scratch the back of his head, which was covered in a layer of messy mint green spikes. Zoro’s dark eyes squinted as he grinned, chuckling, “Whatever you say, Captain.”

  
“Captain? Why is Luffy a Captain now? What happened to Commander?” A girl with brown, almond shaped eyes piped up, her vibrant blue ponytail swinging as she shot an interested glance to Nami from where she had been digging in her locker. She shrugged on a pink denim jacket over her dark shirt, white shorts and black thigh-high socks combo.

  
“Please excuse the idiot _moss-head_ , my dear Vivi,” A tall blond man with light stubble on his chin drawled, his blue eyes glaring daggers at the green-haired teen beneath an odd eyebrow that ended in a chaotic spiral. His long fingers fished in his navy jacket’s pocket for his box of cigarettes, and he tucked one behind his ear in anticipation of being off school grounds before he elaborated, “Luffy has decided that being _Captain_ of the band is cooler than _Commander_.”

  
A short boy, clearly the youngest of the group, stared up at Luffy with awe in his big eyes, their size magnified by the thick glasses perched upon his pointed nose. The lenses made him resemble a cartoon character when you looked at him straight on. His mousey brown hair was shaggy and looked freshly tousled (most likely the work of Zoro), and his fingers tugged at the hem of the oversized white white shirt he wore. It bore Luffy’s band’s logo – A classic skull and crossbones, with a bright yellow and red straw hat thrown into the mix. “Whoa!” Chopper gasped, “That’s so cool, like the captain of a pirate ship!”

  
Luffy nodded excitedly before addressing the blond teen, “See, Sanji! I told you someone would get it! Our logo is a jolly roger, after all.”

  
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in exasperation, “ _As if_ you came up with that by yourself.”

  
“Usopp said it would be a good idea!” Luffy agreed, playing right into her hand, “He said the most important member of the band has to be the Captain!”

  
The curly haired teen winced as he was immediately drawn into a conversation he did not want to be a part of.

  
“I would argue that, as your manager, who books your shows, orders your merchandise, handles your finances, and delegates marketing responsibilities, _I_ am the most important member,” Nami grumbled indignantly, narrowing her eyes at a trembling Usopp. 

  
Vivi patted her reassuringly on the shoulder.

  
Zoro grunted.

  
Luffy chimed, “Yeah, but you’re not _in_ the band, Nami!”

  
As Chopper asked Nami if there _were_ any current marketing or social media related jobs for him to do, Sanji exchanged a glance with Zoro before turning to Luffy and stating, “Our sweet Robin is good to practice, if we want to head over there now.”

  
Luffy nodded enthusiastically, the raven hair that poked out of the closure hole of his yellow hat flopping animatedly along with his head. 

  
“I can drive anyone who needs a lift,” Usopp offered, jingling his keys as if to remind them that he had gotten his license the second it had become an option. As he lived with his single mother, who struggled with chronic illness, he had been quick to secure the ability to drive himself to and from school and his part-time job, to alleviate any pressure on his parent. 

  
Everyone nodded in response and Usopp blanched as he counted the six friends around him. “Okay, well, I can only take 4.” He added sheepishly. 

  
“That’s cool, I’ll board,” Luffy shrugged.

  
“Don’t worry, Nami! You can sit on my lap,” Sanji cooed in a sickening, artificially sweet tone. 

  
Nami crossed her arms across her chest and jutted out her hips, scoffing, “No way, Sanji. Chopper can sit in Zoro’s lap.”

  
The younger boy bumped fists with the older teen.

  
As the crew gathered up any necessary belongings and headed towards the staircase, Usopp explaining that he had parked behind the school instead of the parking lot off the school grounds, Luffy turned back to his locker and grabbed his skateboard.

  
It was a nice maple model, with bright red wheels and a deck that bore the logo for his band, The Straw Hats. It had been a custom made gift from his bandmates for his birthday last year, and he treasured it almost as much as his yellow baseball cap. 

  
Slamming the locker door with more force than necessary, making himself flinch, he shoved his headphones into his ears and scrolled through his phone to his favourite playlist. Not sure what he was in the mood for, he tapped the shuffle button, and grinned as Weezer’s _Troublemaker_ began playing, engulfing his surroundings in the repeated strumming pattern and distinct vocals. 

  
Charging down the staircase, he practically flew out the front doors of the school. Leaping off the top step of the five steps leading to the entryway, he hooked his board beneath his sneakers and soared through the air with a hearty, “Yahoo!” 

  
Landing smoothly, he kicked off with his right foot, speeding towards the sidewalk just past the football fields. He cruised by the parking lot that sat right outside of school grounds, spying the teen who had scowled at him in music class. 

  
Law stood next to the beat up rust-red Toyota Camry – that looked almost as old as the school itself – with the only two people he was ever seen with outside of the building, Penguin and Shachi. The two teens were smoking and laughing jovially, nudging at the far more sullen dark haired boy as if trying to get him to laugh at whatever joke they had made. Even Luffy knew that their attempts were in vain, and he hardly knew the guy. 

  
A flash of yellow caught his eye, and Luffy noticed that Law was gripping the trunk of a skateboard, deck turned away from him for all the world to see the art display. The wood was painted in a deep blue, accented by a bright yellow submarine tangled in the tentacles of a giant squid. A school of sunny tangs swam by in the foreground, distracting from the deadly scene behind them, and adding more depth to the image the longer you looked.

  
Luffy considered it a shame that Law always headed in the opposite direction than him to go home. It would be nice to have someone to skateboard with. 

  
He thumbed his phone that rested in the pocket of his red hoodie, cranking his music as he reached the sidewalk. He picked up speed, rocketing towards the rendez-vous point. He was itching to get on with practice. 

  
The crisp October air was brisk, but still held a warm undertone that rendered multiple layers unnecessary. The leaves on the trees were only just starting to turn to a lighter green, edging on yellow, and Luffy smiled into the wind that whipped against his skin at the thought of the colourful leaves that would be falling in the coming weeks. Since he had no company while skateboarding, he always valued a good sight, and autumn scenery was up there on his list of preferred settings. Nothing beat passing the smoked meat shop around the corner from his home, though. It always smelled amazing, and had a rotating selection of different jerkies and fresh meats in the bay window. He hoped to buy an entire pig from there one day. It would be cool to try and eat the whole thing. He was sure his older brother, Ace, would support him in this endeavour. 

  
A few songs that equated to roughly ten minutes later, Luffy pushed down on the back of his board, braking in front of a large 2 story building in the middle of a sizeable lot. He couldn’t stop the beam that split across his face as he arrived at his favourite place in all of Sabaody.

  
The exterior of the structure was made up of brick coated in a thick layer of white paint, with a handful of windows on the second floor, but none on the lower half due to the three large garage doors that were opened, revealing a series of cars parked within. Above the doors was a flashy neon sign that read _Franky’s SUPER Autobody & Mechanical_. There were more vehicles in the parking spots surrounding the building, that had certainly already been fixed up, or were waiting their turn for the expert mechanic’s tender love and care. 

  
Spare automobile parts, as well as rogue nuts, bolts, and tools littered the concrete floor of the garage, and Luffy spotted a familiar pair of grease covered work boots poking out from underneath a jacked up car.

  
“Oi, Franky!” Luffy shouted, snagging his board by the trunk and waving enthusiastically at the older man, who pulled himself out from under the automobile’s body to search for the source of the greeting.

  
“Hey, kiddo!” The burly mechanic returned the gesture, his heavily muscled arm lifted over his electric blue hair. His hawaiian shirt was streaked with oils and dirt, and his ugly work pants were no better off. He jabbed his thumb towards the back of the garage as he called, “Everyone’s ready. Let’s get some rockin’ tunes up in here!”

  
Luffy didn’t need to be asked twice. He ran past the large mechanic and the car he was working on, making for the door in the back of the wide room. Tossing the door ajar, he was greeted by an impatient shout from Zoro.

  
The door opened up into a rectangular room the same width as the garage, as its intended purpose was to be an office or storage space. However, since Franky lived in the small house directly next to the lot, he chose instead to rent the area out as a jam space for The Straw Hats. 

  
On the left side of the room was a circular high-top table with two bar stools nestled against the wall, where Usopp and Chopper sat, playing with their matching Nintendo DSs. Chopper’s feet didn’t quite touch the ground, and he kicked his feet absently, his face furrowed in intense concentration. Luffy could guess that they were in the middle of a heated Pokémon battle.

  
Adjacent to the table was a mini-fridge that Franky kept filled to the brim with all sorts of beverages: water bottles, sodas, juice, even some beers. An old TV sat atop a stand that held an ancient VCR and a series of VHS tapes right next to the fridge. The beginning of _The Lion King_ was playing on the grainy screen, and Vivi and Nami watched from the battered couch that was positioned opposite the high-top table, acting as a divider from the sitting area to the band space. Nami’s feet, clad in blue socks dotted with tangerines, rested on a wooden coffee table in front of her. The wood was covered in scratches, and they had carved various phrases and words into the surface with their keys over the last two years. Luffy still snickered every time his attention was caught by the six pairs of initials on one end of the table, and the pair on the opposite end, as if Zoro was so directionally challenged that he couldn’t even find his way around a table. Of course, Zoro had not found the joke as funny as everybody else. 

  
The right half of the room was decorated with a beautiful, bright red drum kit in the far corner, adorned with the logo for The Straw Hats on the front of the kick drum. Zoro sat behind it, two drumsticks in hand, and a third in his mouth, just in case he dropped or broke one mid-song. He was tapping his foot, as if he was so full of energy he couldn’t hold still. He resembled a dog waiting to go outside when he could see the squirrels through the window. 

  
Against the wall to Zoro’s left were two large amplifiers, next to a stand holding four different guitars (3 electric, and 1 acoustic). Sanji had a fifth guitar slung across his torso, and a pick jutting between his lips as he carefully tuned his instrument. When he was ready, he stepped forward and grumbled a low, “Check! Check! Hey!” into the microphone that stood in front of him. There was an excited glimmer in the blue eye that was not obscured by a curtain of golden bangs. 

  
To the right of the drums was a massive bass cabinet, and a stand holding 2 electric bass guitars. A tall woman clad in a grey long sleeved shirt dress stood next to the amplifier, a purple bass hanging around her abdomen. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, her blunt bangs brushing her eyebrows above her piercing blue eyes. Robin shot Luffy a composed smile as the teen hurried through the door, using the opportunity to test her rarely used microphone with a simple, “Welcome, Captain.”

  
There was an air of anticipation in the room. It had been two weeks since they had last practiced, which was a long stretch for the best cover band in the Grand Line region. They were all chomping at the bit, giddy grins and flashing eyes. Even their friends were anxiously awaiting their personal concert, having shut off the movie the moment Luffy had walked in, Chopper and Usopp placing their games down. 

  
In a blur of red, blue and yellow, Luffy dropped his board and backpack by the guitars before snagging the middle microphone, freeing it from its stand and exclaiming, “LET’S GO!” 

  
Without waiting for anymore instructions, Zoro began to pound the opening drumbeat to Blink-182’s _Feeling This_ , Sanji joining in with the distorted guitar riff as the song began.

  
Luffy wrapped the microphone cord around his knuckles as he jumped up with the beat and began to sing roughly, _“I got no regret right now!”_

  
Sanji leaned into his mic, shouting back, “ _I’m feeling this!_ ”

  
Robin grooved along with the fast tempo that Zoro maintained as Sanji and Luffy bounced the vocals off each other, the latter using his pent up energy to pump his fist and move his body as if he was performing to a crowd made up of more people than his best friends. 

  
As they reached the chorus, Sanji took the lead, singing in his melodic tenor, “ _Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer.”_

  
Luffy joined in with the higher harmonies, chiming along with the blond guitarist, “ _Place your hand in mine, I’ll leave when I wanna.”_

  
Nami and Vivi wooed in encouragement as Luffy bounded across their makeshift stage, running over to the couch and singing in their faces. Nami crinkled her nose in disgust as some spittle flew from Luffy’s mouth and landed on her face. The blue haired girl next to her laughed unsympathetically, just to get a face full the very next line.

  
Usopp and Chopper had moved from the table to be closer to the action, leaning against the back of the couch and bobbing their heads to the music. They didn’t seem to mind Luffy getting all up in their faces as much as the girls did. 

  
Sanji took over the sing-speaking in the bridge, letting his guitar hang as he crooned over top the bass and drums. He leaned into the mic and winked teasingly at Nami when he caught her staring. He sang, “ _This place was never the same again, after you came and went. How can you say you meant anything different to anyone? Standing alone on the street with a cigarette on the first night we met.”_

  
Zoro and Robin were in sync as always. They made a killer rhythm section, with Zoro’s aggressive style excelling in upbeat songs, and Robin’s technical prowess on the bass guitar allowing her to master any melody. As they grooved beneath Sanji’s vocals, Zoro flashed the dark haired woman a silly, extremely unflattering face, and Robin giggled, before crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him in return. 

  
Using the opportunity where he wasn’t needed to run over to the guitar stand, Luffy slung his favourite red telecaster over his shoulders, shoving in the patch cord and flipping his amplifier on. He joined in on the last chorus, pouring his entire heart into his movements as he strummed vigorously, building on the sound as he joined Sanji in his harmony.

  
_“Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer._   
_Place your hand in mine, I’ll leave when I wanna.”_

  
It was then that Robin leaned into her microphone and added the last vocal part, her soothing alto chiming, _“So lost and disillusioned. So lost and disillusioned. Are we alone? Do you feel it? So lost and disillusioned.”_

  
The music faded out as the three sang the last chorus together, their voices mixing with the shouts and applause of their friends. Even Zoro let out an enthusiastic holler, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. 

  
Luffy was breathing heavily, his face flushed and sweaty, though it was barely discernible beneath the massive smile he wore on his face.

  
This. If he could do this for the rest of his life, he would be the happiest man alive. 

  
“Zoro!” Usopp shouted over the chatter from Nami and Vivi, “More cowbell!”

  
To appease the curly haired teen, the drummer shot him an arrogant smirk and rapped on the triangular black bell with his drumstick, making an amusing _thonk_! ring throughout the room. 

  
“THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!” They heard Franky cry from the other side of the wall, accompanied by what sounded like a wrench being slammed against the drywall, “KEEP ‘EM COMING, KIDS!”

  
Not wanting to keep their landlord and local mechanic waiting, they ran through a handful of songs before deciding to take a break.

Considering they hadn’t practiced for two weeks, they sounded awfully in sync with each other. It was as if they had brought their A-Game to rehearsal, and faced minor hiccups while they ran through their set list for their upcoming show with Cherry Bomb and Victoria Punk that Saturday. They had to restart a couple of songs when Zoro had flung a drumstick at Sanji’s head after the blond had insisted that the drummer had counted them in way too fast, and when Luffy had accidentally swung his microphone too aggressively, sending the expensive piece of tech careening into Zoro’s kick drum. Usopp, who had been The Straw Hat’s sound engineer for the last two years had yelped in protest, and immediately stopped their song to check on the state of the microphone. Thankfully, no mics had been harmed in the process. 

  
Hurdling the tattered couch and tearing open the mini fridge, Sanji tossed a water bottle to every member of the band. As an aspiring chef, he had been taught the importance of food and clean water for the human body. He always looked out for the wellbeing of his friends, and made sure that no one ever got dehydrated in the middle of a show.

  
Cracking open the bottle and taking a sip, Robin sunk onto the couch next to Nami and Vivi, who were eagerly discussing the upcoming Halloween dance at Grand Line Institute. Zoro plopped himself down on the floor, sitting cross legged and placing his water on top of his initials that had been carved into the wood. Usopp and Chopper returned to their seats at the table, and Sanji perched himself on the back of the couch. 

  
Luffy flopped down onto the floor, on the other side of the coffee table from Zoro. The rough carpet was scratchy against his bare calves, but he didn’t mind. He quite liked sitting on the floor, and this seat allowed him the perfect view of every single one of his friends. He would never get sick of looking at them. 

  
“So, we were thinking black and orange streamers – ” Vivi started.

  
“Naturally,” Nami cut her off, flicking her hand as if to accent just how obvious the statement was. 

  
“Right, and fake cobwebs and spiders on the walls,” The blue haired girl continued, unfazed by her friend’s interruption, “We were also going to have red punch hanging in IV bags for beverages.”

  
“An IV bag is awfully hard to spike,” Zoro grumbled, the frown on his face a clear indication of how he felt about the lack of punch bowl.  
“That’s the point, dumbass,” Nami scolded, “The dance is on a Wednesday, and putting aside the fact that this is a _school event_ , we don’t want to be hungover the next morning.”

  
The green haired drummer simply shrugged in response, and everyone was fully aware that he would be bringing a multitude of flasks for himself and his friends, regardless. It was the only way Zoro would agree to go to school events, as he absolutely despised them.

He claimed dances were just a sad excuse for a bunch of lonely, horny teens to get sweaty and grind up on each other while the teachers chaperoning watched creepily. Luffy couldn’t deny that he was right, however Vivi was the Student Body President, and Nami a member of the Student Council, and the two girls would never forgive them if they didn’t participate in each and every event.

  
Luffy didn’t mind so much, as long as there was food.

  
“Will there be those tasty pumpkin cookies?” Chopper asked, his attention returning to the console he gripped in his hands. His voice jumped up an octave and he squeaked angrily, “Oh dammit, your Espeon has Magic Bounce?! Not cool!”

  
Usopp chuckled, “Serves you right for trying to set up Stealth Rock. You _know_ I use my psychic fox to set up walls.” He turned his attention to the women on the couch, “But, I second that request. You know, the Pilsbury ones. They’re addicting.”

  
Vivi nodded, making to write a note about the cookies when Sanji spoke up, lighting his cigarette and taking a drag as he mused, “Vivi, my dear, don’t listen to them. Those cookies are garbage. I’ll personally craft an artisanal sandwich platter, bake some sweets from scratch, and bring a bag of smoked jerky for our gluttonous Captain over there.” His blue eyes glared affectionately in Luffy’s direction.

  
He snickered, “Thanks Sanji. Can you make sure you get the spicy ones?”

  
The blond’s demeanour changed immediately, morphing from kind gentleman to snarling monster immediately. “You get what I give you,” He hissed. 

  
Luffy simply laughed harder.

  
“Thank you Sanji, that is very kind of you,” Nami smiled, placing a supportive hand on the man’s knee, which calmed him immediately, reducing him into a puddle of lovesick goo. His eyes practically turned into cartoon hearts.

  
Vivi turned to the quiet university student on the couch next to her, inquiring, “Robin, I was wondering if you had any black candles that I could borrow? I feel like that’s right up your alley.”

  
Robin’s eyes crinkled in the corners as she responded with an even smile, “Unfortunately, I do not possess such candles, though I can ask Perona for you. It would certainly suit her aesthetic.”

  
“Oh! That’s a good idea,” Vivi exclaimed, her eyes lighting up at the mention of the gothic pink-haired beauty who rented the second apartment upstairs. She had graduated from Grand Line Institute the same year as Robin, and the two had stayed close post secondary school, with Perona attending New World University for Literature and even co-managing the same flower shop, _Lily Carnation,_ as the bassist.

  
Whipping out her cell phone, Robin fired off a text, with a, “I’ll let you know when she gets back to me,” to the two girls next to her. 

  
Sanji peered over her shoulder as she typed, quipping, “Tell her that Sanji hopes she is having a perfect day befitting of her beauty.”

  
Zoro snorted and rolled his eyes, but his expression changed to one of amusement when Robin held her phone out to him, and he read what she had actually typed. “Good one, Robin,” He chuckled in satisfaction.

  
Sanji blinked, “Wait, what? What did she say?!”

  
The drummer shook his head, “None of your business, Curly Brow.”

  
Robin nodded in agreement.

  
With a growl, the blond resorted to pouting, sucking on his cigarette as if it was his imaginary girlfriend. 

  
Checking the time on the VCR’s display, Usopp stood from the high-top table with a smug grin, ignoring Chopper’s groan of defeat as the younger boy slammed his Nintendo DS shut. Stretching out his skinny arms, the long-nosed teen exclaimed, “Well, it’s been fun, but Wally World needs me.”

  
He grabbed his backpack and made for the door, turning back to acknowledge the group as Nami whined, “No, Usopp, you’re my ride. Wal-Mart’s electronics aisle will be fine without you.”

  
The teen shrugged, offering, “C’mon, I’ll give you a lift now. Those Nickelback CDs and B-List DVDs ain’t gonna sell themselves. Usopp the salesman extraordinaire has one hell of a pitch and a book full of barcodes for discounts.” 

  
Nami gathered her belongings with a sigh, followed by Chopper and Vivi. Disappointment flashed across Usopp’s expression, and he protested, “Wait, hold on, I’m driving you guys too?!”

  
When they stared at him like it was obvious, Robin smirked, a dark expression on her face. “You wouldn’t want them to get mugged and murdered in an alley on their way home, would you, Long Nose?” She mused, a teasing glimmer in her brilliant blue eyes.

  
Grumbling passive-aggressively, Usopp lead the group out of the jam space. The remaining teens heard them holler a farewell to Franky, promising him that they would stay for drinks next time. Luffy wondered why Usopp would drive Nami home when she lived across the city from his workplace, though he supposed it wasn’t too surprising. Usopp was a good friend. 

  
Robin’s phone jingled, the screen lighting up with what was most certainly Perona’s answer. Sliding into Vivi’s previous spot on the couch, Sanji leaned into the bassist’s side to read the conversation. He gasped, hurt written all over his pale features, “Sweet Robin! I am _not_ a hopeless pervert! How could you say that?”

  
Zoro let out a hearty guffaw, holding up his hand for the woman to smack with her own. 

  
“Shut it, shitty drummer,” The blond guitarist scowled, standing stiffly from his seat, “You’re lucky I have to work the dinner rush tonight, or I would beat you to a pulp right here and now.”

  
Zoro was unfazed, “With what? Your kitchen knives, ero-cook?”

  
“Jokes on you, they’re in my backpack. Another word and I’ll filet you and serve you to Luffy.”

  
“I bet Zoro tastes good,” Luffy piped up, licking his lips and staring at the green-haired drummer, hunger in his eyes. 

  
Holding his arm out across the table, Zoro laughed, “Want to try?” 

  
Luffy and Robin snickered, while Sanji slung his bag over his shoulder and grumbled, “You guys are weirdos,” adding in a far more enthusiastic tone, “Except for you, my dear Robin!”

  
“I’m pretty happy being a weirdo,” Robin disagreed, waving a parting gesture to the blond as he made for the door. 

  
Luffy bounded up to give Sanji a hug, “Say hi to Zeff and the rest of the Baratie kitchen team for me! Bring me leftovers tomorrow!”

  
Pushing the excitable teen off his frame, the guitarist drawled, “Luffy, you know if I even so much as mention your name, our prep guys start crying. Last time you came to visit, you ate our whole fridge.” He paused before sighing in resignation, “But I’ll try to snag you some leftovers. See you guys later.” With a casual, two fingered salute held to his golden locks, the man slid out the door just as Franky was opening it.

  
The mechanic shouted a farewell to the lanky teen and joined Luffy, Zoro, and Robin in the jam space, 4 bottles of beer hanging between clenched fingers. He plopped down on the couch next to Robin and distributed the beverages, knocking his beer against the glass of the other bottles in a toast to the first practice in a while. 

  
They drank 2 rounds with the brawny mechanic, who had changed out of his work clothes and was now clad in a hideous, but clean, patterned shirt, open over his muscular chest, and a pair of comfy sweat pants. They fell into their usual routine of effortless conversation with the older man, chattering about the last couple weeks at school and what they had been up to on the weekends. He entertained with the tale of a particularly irate customer who wanted to salvage a car that was beyond repair, and had been reluctant to trust the expert’s advice on the matter. 

  
Franky was an eccentric fellow, a bit odd some would say, but Luffy loved him just as fiercely as his school friends. They had been practicing in his shop for 2 years, and if it wasn’t for Chopper, Luffy would go so far as to say that the mechanic was their biggest fan.

He hadn’t sound proofed the room specifically so he could listen to them rehearse while he worked on the cars in the garage, and was always happy to bring them beverages and hang out once the shop had closed for the night. He went to every single show and would bring some of his engineering buddies that he had met in college, but the fact that his acquaintances hung by the bar all night did not stop Franky from standing in the front row and dancing their set away. He would always strike Luffy’s favourite pose at the end of their performance, where he would slam his forearms together above his head, merging the two blue stars that were tattooed on them into one, hollering a trademark, “ _SUPER_!” 

  
He had become the unofficial ‘band dad’ of The Straw Hats and they loved it. He would attend Zoro’s Kendo tournaments, and let Luffy skateboard around his lot on days when they weren’t practicing. He bought Sanji his smokes, and frequently went grocery shopping with Robin just to keep her company. He was always giving Usopp spare mechanical parts for his various creative projects, helping Nami run the merch table, and building miniature Pokémon out of nuts and bolts to give to Chopper. The latter had a pretty extensive collection going. Though Vivi was not around as often as the others due to her various commitments as Student Body President, Franky made sure the fridge was stocked with at least one bottle of her favourite beverage (blue raspberry Jones soda) at all times. 

  
Last year, he had gotten a little straw hat tattooed on the inside of his right elbow, and Luffy had been absolutely thrilled. They would never have been able to keep the band going for as long as they had without Franky, and Luffy would be eternally grateful for his unconditional love and support. 

  
When his bottle was empty and the clock had struck 8pm, Luffy decided that he should be getting home. He hadn’t had to worry about dinner, as he rarely ate with his family at the same time, but his stomach was growling and he was eager to scour the refrigerator for scraps. If he was lucky, his brother would have left him half of whatever he had made himself. 

  
Wishing the others a goodnight, fairly surprised that Zoro chose to stick around with Robin and Franky despite his best friend heading out, Luffy grabbed his bag and skateboard and exited the building. He popped his headphones into his ears, allowing the playlist to pick up where it left off, and began the twenty minute trip home. Feeling exceptionally giddy, still riding the high after rehearsal, he laughed into the wind as he flew down the sidewalk. He liked to smile, even if there was no one around. It was important to smile when you felt happy, and he was on cloud nine. 

  
He felt a surge of pride swell in his chest as Zoro’s actions. They had been an inseparable duo for so long, despite the green-haired boy being two years older than the energetic teen. They had met on the playground of their elementary school when Zoro, in Grade 8, had marveled at Luffy’s wily strength as he had fended off two pathetic bullies. He had rushed over to help the Grade 6 student, yet his assistance had not been required. Luffy was scrappy, quick, and had already broken one of the bullies’ noses, and had tackled the other to the ground. 

  
When a teacher had caught them and sent Luffy to the principal’s office, Zoro had punched the bully without the broken nose in the face, just so the other boy didn’t have to make the walk of shame alone. They had swiftly become best friends, with Zoro always listening to Luffy ramble on about a new bug he had found, and Luffy asking Zoro to teach him the basic martial arts that Zoro’s adoptive father taught at the local dojo. When their mutual interests turned to music, Luffy had picked up guitar while the older teen had turned to drums, and they had begun to mess around with their instruments in Zoro’s garage. That had been the birth of The Straw Hats.

  
Due to their deep bond, Zoro and Luffy were almost always together, and it was out of character for Zoro to not offer to walk home with Luffy. It didn’t upset the younger teen. If anything, he was glad Zoro was spending more time with his other friends. He wasn’t jealous. Zoro would always be his best friend, and Luffy his.

  
With perfect timing, his phone buzzed in his pocket just as he arrived in front of his home. Fishing the cell out of his hoodie, he checked the notification and grinned, responding swiftly.

  * 8:26pm – **firstmate**   
_Home?_
  * 8:27 – **captain**  
 _Yeah._



They were just so in sync like that.

  
Though, he regretted responding that he had safely made it home a moment later, when he realized that his bag did not contain his house keys. He rummaged through the yellow canvas bag, pushing aside empty candy wrappers and loose, very crinkled, notes from classes, yet there was no sign of the blue carabiner with the Blink-182 key chain. 

  
With a carefree shrug, he trotted to the side of the house, scaling up the fence with ease and landing heavily on his feet in the backyard. The overgrown grass licked at his ankles and he wondered if his grandfather would make him mow the lawn soon. He was in the middle of an experiment to see how long it could grow before Garp got annoyed. Garp liked to think he was scary when he was mad. Luffy considered that that may have been the case when he was a little kid, but now he just found his grandfather’s throbbing forehead vein thoroughly amusing. He didn’t understand why he got so angry about the simplest thing. Luffy had asked him about it once, and he had answered with something about wanting to see him grow up into a fine young man with proper work ethic, but in all honestly, the teen hadn’t really been listening. 

  
Reaching the large maple tree next to the house, Luffy scampered up the knobbly bark of the trunk, pulling himself onto the thick branch that extended to a familiar window. Ignoring the creaking protests of the tree, he rapped a playful rhythm on the glass pane, unsurprised when it opened immediately.

  
A freckled face, a head of shaggy black hair that was a little longer than his own, and a curious gaze looked him over. 

  
“Luffy. It’s only 8:30. You could have knocked, oh I don’t know, on the door?!” Ace chuckled, his tone betraying the fact that he didn’t really care if his little brother chose to climb in through his bedroom window instead. 

  
Snickering, Luffy clumsily slid through the opening in the second story, falling face first onto the carpeted floor of his brother’s room. “Yeah, but this is more fun,” He chirped, pulling himself into a seated position in front of the large LCD TV that was playing a rerun of _The Office_ , “Oh, good episode.”

  
Ace nodded, joining him on the coarse rug, “You have no idea the physical toll that three vasectomies have on a person,” He quoted along with Steve Carell’s character, causing his younger brother to chortle. 

  
Looking at the man seated next to him, Luffy could really notice the differences between them that revealed they were not biologically related. When they were younger, everyone assumed that Ace was kidding when he said he was adopted, but as he got older, it started to show. Despite similar hair colour, Ace’s skin was more tan, as if it was permanently kissed by the sun, and covered in thousands of brown spots. His eyes were hooded, opposed to Luffy’s bright, round orbs, and his build was naturally more broad and muscular than the younger boy’s slim frame. 

That being said, they still looked enough alike that Luffy was often able to get away with using his old ID. 

  
“How was practice?” Ace asked, his gaze still fixed on the television.

  
“Great! You coming to the show on Saturday?” He answered, his voice barely holding back his excitement for the upcoming gig.

  
His brother shook his head, “Sorry, buddy. I promised Sabo I’d go visit him on campus for some sort of barhopping night.”

  
Ace was in his second year of a Fire Sciences program at Red Line College, though he chose to live at home in order to save up some money, unlike their other adopted brother Sabo. The latter was attending New World University for Political Science, and lived in residence. Despite complaining about the campus food of horrendous quality constantly, he insisted he enjoyed the freedom and independence of living away from home. Ace went to visit him fairly often, but Luffy had only gone once or twice. He missed Sabo. He made a mental note to accompany Robin to school one day to visit him.

  
“No biggie, dude,” Luffy shrugged, a wide grin across his face, “You’ll have to drag him out to the next one, though!”

  
Ace clapped a big hand onto his brother’s shoulder, “You got it. It’s been too long since Sabo and I have been to a gig. Remember last time?”

  
“When you two beat up eight giant bikers?”

  
“Well, no one makes fun of our little brother’s band and gets away with it,” He laughed, moving his hand to pat the top of Luffy’s yellow baseball cap.

  
“Zoro was impressed. He didn’t realize how strong you had gotten since starting your course.”

  
“Ah, yes, these babies,” He flexed his biceps, planting a kiss on one of them, “Are necessary for fighting fires, you know.”

  
There was the sound of feet stomping up the stairs and a distant shout of, “ACE! WHERE’S MY GOOD-FOR-NOTHING GRANDSON?!”

  
Luffy giggled and spoke in a whisper, “Don’t tell him I’m here.”

  
The young man chuckled, “Want the leftovers I saved for you while I’m at it?”

  
Luffy’s eyes shone with pure adoration. His face was flushed with an excited blush, and he was sure that if he were in an anime, he would be sparkling in front of a bubbly pink background. 

  
Ace shook his head cheerfully and exited the room to go tell Garp that Luffy was at band practice. 

  
Luffy’s cheeks hurt from smiling. It had been such a good day. 

  
He hoped his life would never change. 


	2. She's Always Singing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Straw Hats play their gig at Shakky's Rip-off Bar, with Victoria Punk and Cherry Bomb.  
> Zoro gets lost on the way to the jame space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter!  
> Here's number 2.  
> As always, huge shout out to [hiraeth_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan/pseuds/hiraeth_chan) for being the best!
> 
> The title is a song by The Dear Hunter :)

“Thank you, Sensei,” The young kids, clad in their traditional black kendo uniforms, bowed to Zoro as he dismissed them from the class, swinging his wooden sword at his side. His black Hakama fluttered around his ankles as the rounded tip swished past the fabric. 

  
While the rest of the children scurried away to the nearby parents who had been watching their display of structured movements with the blunt weapons, Zoro’s favourite student, a small girl with brown pigtails, hung back. She looked up at the green-haired teen with big amber eyes and squeaked, “Sensei, are you the best swordsman ever?”

  
He crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet, and grinned at the little girl. “Not yet, but one day, I will be,” He answered with a chuckle. He had always had a soft spot for children.

  
The girl seemed disappointed with his answer, puffing out her cheeks in a pout and crossing her arms across her chest. Her pigtails whipped back and forth as she stubbornly shook her head. “That’s dumb. _I_ think you’re the best swordsman ever,” She protested.

  
Placing a large hand on her head, Zoro promised, “Well, then I’m definitely going to be the best, if you say so!” 

  
With a giant smile, the little girl ran off to meet her mother and Zoro waved at them as they exited the dojo. Lifting his arms over his head and stretching out his shoulders, he eyed the mop bucket in the corner of the large room with the sleek hardwood floor. Watching his reflection in the large mirror that lined the right wall, he fetched the supplies and began to clean. The junior class taught by Zoro was the last class of the evening, so he had the responsibility of tidying the place before locking up. 

  
He zoned out as he mopped, admiring the way the harsh fluorescent lights reflected off the wet floor. He could just make out the various plaques and banners that lined the walls in the layer of water, and he didn’t need to look closer to see that they all bore one of three names. It was either his name, Kuina’s, or Koushiro’s. 

  
He had been abandoned by his parents before he could remember. Someone must have called Child Protective Services or something, since his first memory had been of the orphanage. He wasn’t there for long, as Koushiro had taken him in the moment the he had laid eyes on the peculiar green-haired child. The tall man with the gentle smile and half-moon glasses ran the local dojo, and had begun training Zoro and his biological daughter, Kuina, in traditional Japanese martial arts, as well as the sword fighting art of Kendo as soon as they could maintain their grip on a hilt. He had grown extremely passionate about the sport, swiftly excelling in competitions, and taking on a few classes of his own once he reached the age of 16.

  
His sister was two years older than him, with an athletic frame and a natural talent for Kendo only emphasized by the hours and hours she poured into training. They had been rivals for years, and to this date he had never been able to beat her. They had promised each other that one of them would win the title of the world’s greatest swordsman one day, if they were ever accepted into an international tournament. 

  
“Zoro! Why are you still here, you dummy?” 

  
Speak of the Devil.

  
Zoro spun on his heel towards the open door, not expecting the frigid breeze that blew through the entry way. It was only October 6th, for gods sake, why was it so cold already?! Perhaps the air was simply chilled as it passed through Kuina’s dead heart. 

  
“Why are _you_ here?" Zoro shot back, unable to think of anything better to say. Thinking fast on his feet was not his strong suite, unless it involved drumsticks or swords. 

  
The woman with the short dark blue hair and almond shaped eyes frowned, “Don’t you have a show tonight? You asked me to come clean and lock up so that you wouldn’t be late to meet up with the band.” She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him, unimpressed.

  
_SHIT_!

  
Kuina must have understood the look of panic that shot across Zoro’s face, since she tugged the mop from his hands as the approached him. Rolling her eyes dramatically, she grumbled, “Sometimes I think you can’t get any dumber, and yet… Here we are.”

  
“I don’t have time for your shit today, Kuina,” He shouted, shuffling across the wet floor to where he had placed his gym bag by the door to the washroom. Not willing to waste any time whatsoever, he changed in front of the door, knowing his sister, as annoying as she was, wouldn’t turn around and tease him. He slipped off his Hakama and threw on a simple royal blue t-shirt and a pair of distressed black jeans, slipping his feet into his checkered vans. Shrugging a vintage camo jacket over his shoulders, he grabbed the strap of his bag and took off out the door. 

  
He heard Kuina screech “You’re welcome!” as he failed to even so much as say goodbye.

  
The dojo was not far from the jam space. If he walked quickly, he would be able to get there in 20 minutes. That wouldn’t be too bad.   
He tugged his phone out of his pocket and opened The Straw Hats group chat.

  * 6:17 – **firstmate** in **_Straw Hat Pirates_**  
 _Left. 20 min._



  * 6:18 – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _The marimo has such a way with words._



  * 6:19 – **captain** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
👍



  * 6:20 – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Wow, what an eloquent group we are._



  * 6:25 – **archaeologist** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _We’ll load the van, so we can leave when you get here._



  * 6:26 – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Thank you for the complete sentence, sweet Robin_ 🙏



Okay, he could do it. They wouldn’t be late. It would work out okay. Besides, the brisk autumn air helped him stay focused, cooling the sweat that dotted his forehead as he half-sprinted down the street. He couldn’t get distracted. He knew to take a left at the oak tree with the gnarled trunk that resembled a constipated man, and a right at the bent stop sign that Luffy’s brother had dented with his car when he had forgotten to take his narcolepsy medication and fallen asleep at the wheel.

  
Wait, everything around him looked familiar.

  
_Too_ familiar.

  
He was back in front of the dojo. With a loud groan, he dragged his hands over his face in frustration. He could hear Kuina cackling from the large window at the front of the building.

  
His phone vibrated in his pocket.

  * 6:35 – **captain** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Zoro_??



  * 6:40 – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Omg you got lost, didn’t you?_



  * 6:45 – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Oi, shitty drummer, where are you?!_



Zoro closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. It wasn’t his fault the dojo had decided to move. If anything, Kuina had probably used some sort of freaky kendo master magic to move it 5 blocks east. His internal compass couldn’t be that bad. He exhaled loudly, fully aware that he was throwing away all of his dignity as he typed out his response.

  * 6:46 – **firstmate** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Dojo_.



  * 6:47 – **archaeologist** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Stay where you are. We’re picking you up_.



Zoro plopped down on the curb, resting his head in his hands as frustration radiated throughout his body. He just knew that the stupid cook was going to taunt him about this for at least a week.

  
He had met the blond guitarist in Grade 9, at the very start of High School. He had come from a different elementary school than Zoro, and the drummer often looked back on his childhood without the cook, and wished he had treasured the time more. With an almost identical time table in their first semester, Zoro and the cook had no way to _not_ get acquainted, and every time he found out something new about the curly-browed idiot, the more he disliked him. He was vain. He was arrogant. He had a terrible temper towards any male, and fawned over any female like they were the greatest being to ever grace the earth. He constantly reeked of tobacco and cheap cologne, and, to Zoro’s dismay, he was thoughtful enough to always bring an extra lunch for any of his friends who had forgotten their own. 

  
He had successfully managed to avoid a friendship with the moron until Luffy had entered high school when they were in Grade 11. 

  
Of course, Luffy had somehow convinced the coolest 12th Grader around, Nico Robin, to join their dinky little band that consisted of just drums, guitar, and vocals. They were like The White Stripes, but _bad_. Robin, for who knows what reason other than Luffy’s sheer charisma, had agreed to hang out with the boy who was three years younger than her. They had jammed and had a good time, until Robin had brought up that they could use a lead guitarist. Next thing Zoro knew, she had shown up at the next practice, dragging blondie by the collar. 

  
Luffy was immediately obsessed with the cook because he was, well, a cook. The fastest way to the energetic teen’s heart was food, and the dartboard brow was an endless supply of it. Their two friend groups ended up merging, with Luffy eagerly accepting Vivi and Nami as part of his new squad, and the girls hitting it off with Usopp instantly. Zoro’s relatively peaceful life was thrown into a chaotic spiral – not unlike the one on the blond’s forehead – as he adjusted to spending every single day with the pretentious douchenozzle. 

  
Thus, Zoro had been less than thrilled when, after graduating last year and deciding to take an extra, optional year to improve some of his grades before he applied to New World University for Kinesiology, the ero-cook had decided to _stay for another semester_. Just when the drummer had thought he was free from seeing that spiral eyebrow at school everyday, the cook just had to hang onto his precious Pop Choir that he ran with Vivi. The guitarist was planning on taking some blow off classes and focusing on music for the first semester, before spending the entirety of the next term working at his father’s restaurant to gain more experience as a chef. 

  
Zoro looked forward to the next semester.

  
The cook was lucky he was a damn good guitarist. 

  
(And singer, and chef, and… Friend.)

  
A silvery blue Dodge Grand Caravan pulled up to the curb, with Nami frowning in the passenger seat and Robin smiling knowingly behind the wheel. One expression was significantly less intimidating than the other. He could handle the witch’s wrath, but the omniscient gaze that Robin gave him? It chilled him to the bone. It made him feel like she had predicted this outcome all along.

  
The sliding side door of the van was thrown open, revealing a panicked Usopp, cackling Luffy, and unamused cook. The trunk of the vehicle was packed with all of their gear, including the entirety of Zoro’s drum kit. He winced internally. If he had been there, he would have only brought his breakables (cymbals and snare) to avoid the awkward conversation with the other drummers about who would volunteer their kit. 

  
“Hurry up and get in, moss-head. We’re going to be late for sound check,” Curly Brow muttered, an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He was chewing on the butt as if he could not wait to get to the venue and light it up while everyone else did the heavy lifting involved in unloading. 

  
Zoro slid into the first available seat, noting that Chopper and Vivi were absent. He assumed that they would be getting a lift from Franky or Brook. 

  
“Sanji, it’s like you’ve never even driven with Robin before,” Usopp’s nervous eyes darted towards the woman grinning devilishly in the driver’s seat. 

  
“Robin always gets us there on time, right Robin?” Luffy exclaimed. 

  
“Aye, aye, captain,” The bassist mused in her smooth alto, slamming her foot down on the gas pedal and sending the van jolting forward at an uncomfortably swift speed.

  
Zoro grinned, a strange pride swelling in his chest as he stared at the woman’s profile, at the dangerous glint in her beautiful eyes as she yanked the steering wheel, skidding around a corner. She knew the fastest route to the venue like the back of her hand, and knew exactly which roads the traffic police paid attention to. She never got caught racing down the side streets.

  
She was so cool.

  
“Jesus, Robin!” Nami yelped, her nails digging into the sides of her seat, “We need to make it there alive!”

  
“Well, then the captain should have been more specific with his request,” She responded coolly. Her bangs were fanned perfectly across her forehead, not a single strand out of place. It was like she hadn’t just had everyone bouncing in their seats due to her reckless driving. 

  
When they pulled up to the venue, they had ten minutes to spare before sound check. Easy. They could do this. 

  
As the dumbass cook predictably lit up his cigarette and took on the role of unloading everything from the van to the ground, the rest of the group scurried back and forth between the stage and the growing pile of equipment next to the vehicle. 

  
Zoro grabbed his large, circular bag of cymbals in one hand, and his hi-hat stand in the other, making his way through the scuffed up red door plastered with various band stickers, hidden on the side of a grey and white cobblestone building. The venue would have been invisible if it wasn’t for the large sign on the front that read _Shakky’s Rip Off Bar._ The door opened up into a narrow hallway that smelled of old, stale beer, with walls coated in a thick layer of posters advertising shows that had long since passed. At the end of the hallway stood a rectangular doorway with a podium in front of it, where tickets and money would be exchanged for entry. To the right of the doorway were two unisex bathrooms, which never seemed to be enough given the capacity of the joint. Zoro anticipated that there would be a line up for the washroom all night, as the three bands on the bill were quite popular in Sabaody and the surrounding region, and the showrunner was expecting a big turnout. 

  
Entering the main area of the venue, the drummer instinctually turned left, making for the medium sized stage against the far wall, instead of the bar and sitting area that was located to the right. The walls held the same layer of show posters, and the old wooden tables next to the bar top were sticky and covered in a thick layer of grime. A sound booth was nestled against a small dividing wall that did little to separate the bar from the concert hall, as one could still sit at a table and see the stage through two large door ways. 

  
Two long tables lined the left wall next to the stage, where bands could display their merchandise, and piles of equipment had already been gathered against the wall on the right. A handful of people were milling about the empty space that served as a standing area, or dance floor on some occasions, for the audience. Zoro recognized them as members of the other bands. Sure enough, they had been the last group to arrive. 

  
Once all of their equipment was in the building, Robin went to go park the van in the nearest lot, and Zoro decided it was time to get down to business. He scanned his surroundings, searching for the drummers of the other two bands. 

  
He didn’t have to look very hard, for they were already standing by the gear, oddly silent as if they had been waiting for him to start conversing. 

  
Shoving his hands in the pockets of his ripped jeans, Zoro wandered over to the pink haired woman, and the burly man. “Hey, guys,” He called in greeting, trying to sound as friendly as his voice would allow. He _really_ didn’t want to use his kit. 

  
It wasn’t that he was opposed to sharing, no. It was more about _who_ he was sharing with. For example, Zoro had no problem lending his drum kit to Cherry Bomb’s drummer, Lola – the stocky woman with obscenely plump lips, pastel pink hair, and a garish amount of makeup – but he did take issue with it being subjected to Victoria Punk’s drummer, Urouge – an incredibly massive, body builder of a man, with cropped black hair and a sleek, full beard. He had seen Victoria Punk play multiple times, and he was genuinely scared his toms would not be able to withstand the sheer force with which the man pounded the instruments. 

  
“Zoro, nice of you to finally show up!” Lola chimed. It wasn’t passive aggressive. He knew she was actually happy to see him, and hadn’t quite thought her words through. 

  
Urouge nodded to him, his kind eyes shining as he said, “You’re just in time. We were deciding what kit to use.”

  
“What’s the line up?” Zoro asked, as it was common practice that the headliner would use their kit, save for breakables, unless they felt that they were too good for that. He typically didn’t like bands that felt like they were above sharing. 

  
There was nothing wrong with everyone wanting to use their own drums, per se, as every drummer tuned their kit differently to get the sound that best suited their band, but it was an absolute nightmare for the sound technicians to deal with an entire kit being taken off stage to be replaced with a different one moments later. To make Usopp’s life easier, Zoro was always down to work together with the other drummers.

  
“You guys, then VP, then we’re headlining,” Lola answered, and the green-haired teen heard the nerves in her voice. Headlining was always hit of miss. It all depended on if the crowd from the earlier bands stuck around. Thankfully with a 3 band bill and the majority of the audience being genuine music lovers, Cherry Bomb was bound to have many eyes watching their set. 

  
Zoro was mildly disappointed that The Straw Hats were slotted for first. That was the rookie spot. In his honest, and valid, opinion, their sound was far tighter than the hardcore technical whirlwind that was Victoria Punk, and the feel good old school punk vibes that Cherry Bomb offered, but no one ever took them as seriously as the others because they were a cover band.

  
“Do you mind if we use yours, Lola?” Urouge asked politely, and Zoro did not miss the flash of unease in her beady eyes as she nodded. He was sure the pinkette had the same concerns for her kit as he did. 

  
“Of course, just use your breakables, please,” She smiled, putting on a brave face. She began to haul her drums onto the stage, placing them on the smaller, elevated platform towards the back of the stage. Urouge helped by lifting the bass drum over one shoulder, and Zoro felt pathetically weak as he carried over his snare drum.

  
As they assembled the kit for Zoro’s soundcheck, Lola paused, her lips pursed in an ‘ _O_ ’ as if she just remembered something. “Did you guys hear that Shanks’s Battle of the Bands is coming to Sabaody in June?” She inquired. 

  
Urouge nodded, crossing his giant arms across his barrel chest, “Yeah, Kid’s planning on submitting a demo this week.”

  
“Hey, Bonney was thinking the same thing! What are the odds!”

  
Zoro blinked, “Wait, like Luffy’s Uncle Shanks? He has a Battle of the Bands?”

  
Both drummers looked at him like he had grown a second head.

  
“Yeah, it’s his big homecoming tour. He’s doing a Battle of the Bands in every big city that he stops in, plus one here because it’s his destination,” Lola was kind enough to explain, “Any band in the region can enter as long as all the members are over 15. All you have to do is submit a rough recording of an original song by February 1st, and if your group is accepted, you perform on live television sometime in June… Was it the 25th? I think it was the 25th.”

  
“June 21st,” Urouge corrected with a low chuckle, “The winner gets a free music video and 3 songs produced by Shanks himself.”

  
“Huh,” Zoro processed the amount of information he had just taken in, “I’ll have to talk to the others about it. Sounds like a pretty sick gig.”

  
Lola frowned, “But you need to submit an original song. The Straw Hats are a cover band.”

  
And _that_ was his cue to leave. 

  
With an abrupt nod, Zoro grumbled, “I’ll gather the troops for soundcheck,” before stalking off to hunt down his bandmates.

  
Checking their volume levels and tones went by quickly. Usopp had been mixing their sound for so long now, he had it down to a fine art. Zoro used the opportunity to riff around on the unfamiliar kit to let go of the irritation he felt regarding his peers’ prejudiced opinion of them.

  
They weren’t wrong that The Straw Hats were a cover band, but that didn’t mean they weren’t good. They were extremely talented and had a large following to boot, beating out the other bands in ticket sales at every gig. Not to mention they always sold a fair amount of merch, and they were more likely to get booked by sports bars and pubs, as bar flies, well, preferred to listen to songs they _knew_. A cover band was nothing to be looked down on, and the fact that Cherry Bomb and Victoria Punk thought they were so much better than them… It made his blood boil.

  
He was merciful enough not to leave a dent in Lola’s floor tom. 

  
The doors opened shortly after the sound-check was done, and around 50 people ranging from 15 to 60 wandered in from outside, some flocking to the bar, some to the standing area around the stage. A handful of younger fans rushed over to the merchandise tables, where Nami had lovingly set up a display that showcased The Straw Hats’ enamel pins, stickers, and black t-shirts with their logo on the left side of the chest. The red-head welcomed them to her booth, greed shining in her eyes as she accepted their money and gifted them with their new shirts. The managers for the other two bands – a tan, dark haired woman named Viola, and Drake, a tall man with ginger hair and a large scar across his strong chin – watched her in awe. There was a reason that she was in charge of the band’s finances. That reason being she loved making money more than she loved herself, and she thought pretty damn highly of herself. 

  
There was an excited shout, and Zoro was caught off guard as a head of mousey brown hair charged into his side. With a hearty chuckle, he ruffled Chopper’s hair with a large hand and nodded a greeting to Brook, Franky, and Vivi who had entered the concert hall with drinks in hand. Vivi was only 17, but _Shakky’s_ cared more about revenue than the liquor laws of the province, often turning a blind eye to fake IDs. That, or they were simply not trained on how to recognize a doctored driver’s license. Zoro would be 19 in just over a month, and thus he had decided that he would drink on his own time and bypass the struggle to fix up his ID. It seemed pointless when he had people to buy him alcohol. 

Regardless, he never judged his friends for using fake IDs. It wasn’t much different than smuggling in a flask, which Zoro had done on multiple occasions. 

  
The house lights dimmed, which was their cue that it was show time. 

  
Chopper, Franky, Brook, and Vivi took their places in front of the stage, along with many other familiar faces from school and past gigs. Zoro could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins already. This was going to be a good one. 

  
The members of the Straw Hats emerged from various areas of the venue, gathering on stage in a quick group huddle. The cook reeked of a fresh cigarette. Luffy had a manic grin plastered across his face. Robin was calm and composed and completely perfect, as always. They all placed their hands in the middle of the circle, and lifted them on the count of 3 with a shout of “YO HO HO!”

  
Brook hollered encouragement, fully aware that the pre-show chant had been based off his shrill, rather pirate-y laugh. They had all had, or currently had, him as a music teacher, and they paid tribute to him before every set. 

  
Zoro took his place behind the drum kit, waiting until Luffy, Robin and the idiot guitarist were tuned and in position before counting them in, rapping his sticks together and yelling, “1, 2, 3, 4!” through the third drumstick he had shoved in his mouth. 

  
He began to pound the easily recognizable intro to Fall Out Boy’s _Sugar, We’re Going Down_ , and was absolutely delighted when all 3 of his band members stepped up onto his elevated platform, grinning down at him as he lead them into the song. He caught Robin’s eye, and she smiled a rare smile he only ever saw when she was on stage, when she had her bass slung around her body. A smile that showed all her perfect teeth. 

  
Then, the moment was over and his three bandmates launched themselves off the platform, jumping in time with the song, the instruments swelling over the steady rhythm. 

  
The crowd cheered with excitement. Chopper was already filming them on his phone, surely to post on their Instagram page later. Vivi squealed, “I LOVE YOU SANJ!” with the sole intention of flustering the blond just as he stepped up to the mic. Zoro knew she didn’t mean it that way. He was far from her type.

  
The shitty cook let his guitar hang from his lanky frame as he gripped the microphone with both hands and crooned, “ _Am I more than you bargained for yet? I’ve been dying to tell you anything you wanna hear ‘cause that’s just who I am this week.”_

  
Luffy joined in with the lead guitar part in the verse so the ero-cook could focus on his singing, chiming in with the back up vocals as they neared the chorus. The teen was full of energy as always, yellow baseball cap barely staying on top of his raven locks as he stomped around the stage, banging his head in time with his strumming. 

  
Robin’s dark hair shone purple beneath the multicoloured lights that flashed above them, emphasized by the yellow spotlight pointed in their direction. Her bangs remained in tact though her shoulder length locks fluttered around her narrow face as she shook her head back and forth, swaying her body along with the music. Her dainty fingers plucked the bass strings with expert timing, and she wandered over to the drum kit during the fade out in the bridge, making eye contact with Zoro. They took advantage of the lack of bass and drums in the moment to shout the lyrics to each other, singing along with Curly Brow and Luffy, though far away from any microphone. 

  
Zoro wished Robin would sing more often. 

  
The final chorus of the song was accompanied by a more urgent drum beat than before, with all guitars in use as the idiot blond sang the familiar words and Luffy chanted, _“Take aim at myself. Take back what you said. Take aim at myself!”_

  
The cook closed the song with a simple, _“A loaded god complex, cock it and pull it.”_

  
A patterned strum partnered with a simple riff on the drums, and the last chord faded away to a round of applause and enthusiastic cheers. The young girls next to Chopper and Vivi screamed out for Curly Brow, and Zoro believed that they truly thought they loved him.   
The rest of the set went off without a hitch, with many a sing-a-long to be had with the audience. The end of their last song, The Killers’ _All These Things That I’ve Done_ , was met with a chorus of clapping and encouraging shouts so loud that Zoro winced. The _drummer_ who wasn’t wearing earplugs (bad move) _winced_. He had been right when he predicted that it was going to be a good one. Luffy’s face was so red and sweaty that it glistened like a blister beneath the harsh spotlight. The cook was grinning like a madman as he handed his guitar pick to one of the young teens at the front of the stage. They squealed in excitement. 

  
Swiftly removing their gear from the stage, his bandmates began to mingle as Zoro took his time dismantling the pieces of the drum kit that belonged to him. Urouge appeared at his side almost instantly, replacing whatever Zoro removed with his own equipment. 

  
The cook joined Nami over at the merch table to attract potential sales from the young fans, and Luffy and Robin met up with Usopp at the sound booth before joining Franky and Brook at a table they had secured by the bar.

  
The green-haired drummer joined Chopper and Vivi at the front of the stage as Victoria Punk commenced their set. Although he wasn’t the biggest fan of the hardcore scene in general, it was good etiquette to attentively watch the other bands on the bill, as networking was an important part of the music industry. 

  
Eustass Kid, the frontman, was extremely eye catching, with his blood red spikey hair, eyeliner and lipstick, steam punk goggles, and large burgundy faux fur coat draped over his shoulders. The other members of the band were equally as unique. The lead guitarist, Killer, had a long mane of blond hair, and kept his face obscured by a blue and white striped mask. Hawkins drove the rhythm on a jet black bass, his pale, almost silver, locks hanging down to his shoulders, emphasizing just how gaunt his face was. Apoo worked the synth with long fingers bedazzled in thick rings, his brown hair in a single braid that fell all the way to the small of his back. 

  
Cherry Bomb had taken the stage afterwards, looking revved up and ready to go. Lola had led them in with a swift drumroll, and Robin’s neighbour Perona had slid onto her knees, commencing the show with a killer guitar solo. She was clad in striped tights with combat boots and a simple black dress, which really matched the power-punk-with-an-edge aesthetic of the rest of the band. Zoro had had the pleasure of meeting Perona a few times – She was rather whiney, but Robin liked her so she had to be okay. 

  
Jewelry Bonney stomped onto the stage, mic in hand as she aggressively shouted to the audience, “WHAT’S UP SABAODY?!” to which Vivi had hollered, “I LOVE YOU BONNEY!”

  
Zoro decided that she _did_ mean it that time. Clad in a tan leather jacket over a tight white tank top and distressed black shorts over ripped tights, she _was_ Vivi’s type. 

  
Though thought to be the ‘cute’ one of the band, he felt that the bassist, Pudding, was nothing compared to Robin. She was certainly an attractive girl, a petite thing with big brown eyes and pouty lips, but she wasn’t Robin. However, Zoro did find it amusing that she had dyed the tips of her light brown pigtails pink to match the hair colour of the rest of her bandmates. 

  
Zoro had hardly been able to keep his eyes off of Robin the whole show. When had he grown so attached to her? Had she always been this beautiful? He had known her for 2 years, and yet he wasn’t sure when he started thinking about her when she wasn’t around.

  
It required the very object of his admiration waltzing up to him in front of the empty stage after the show and placing a delicate hand on his shoulder to knock him out of his thoughts. 

  
“Zoro? You okay?” Her lips twitched into a concerned frown. 

  
He realized he was the only one left standing by the stage.

  
“Oh,” He grunted, “Yeah, just thinkin’.”

  
“Don’t hurt yourself,” She giggled, before gesturing to the table at which the rest of their friends sat, “We were going to have one more drink before we head out. Can I get you anything?”

  
Zoro shook his head and he awkwardly shoved his hands in his pockets, not quite sure what to do with the clammy appendages when the gorgeous bassist was around. They joined the rest of the group at the grimy sitting area, and he watched in confusion as Luffy pressed some money into Robin’s hand, whispering something in her ear. 

  
Robin made her way to the bar, ordering a beer and bringing it over to three familiar teens who lingered in the back corner of the venue, as Zoro took a seat at the large table. Nami, Vivi, and Chopper were huddled around the latter’s phone, nitpicking details in the post he was about to make on the band’s social media. Usopp, Brook, Franky, and the cook were deep in a debate on the benefits of in-ear monitors. 

  
Zoro was surprised to see Robin hand the beer into the tattooed fingers of a brooding Trafalgar Law, who looked like he had been dragged out by the resident stoners of GLI – Penguin and Shachi. The sullen teen’s mouth was set into a permanent scowl and Zoro felt a tinge of anger flare in his stomach as the other teen hardly even acknowledged Robin’s unnecessarily kind gesture. How disrespectful.

  
Though, Law’s eyes did widen with mild confusion, and his golden gazed flitted over to Zoro’s group. Luffy lifted his arm and waved enthusiastically, beaming at the dark-haired teen with the morbid tattoos. Zoro had expected nothing more when Law simply nodded tersely and returned to the conversation he was having with his friends.

  
While Robin returned to her seat at the table, the drummer grumbled, “What was that about?”

  
“Luffy wanted to buy him a drink for his 18th birthday,” The bassist explained, nodding to their frontman. At the mention of his name, the dark haired teen with the yellow cap turned his head towards their conversation.

  
Zoro narrowed his eyes, “Didn’t know you were friends with that mopey bastard, Luf.”

  
Luffy shrugged, “He’s in my music class.”

  
Grunting in response to Luffy’s vague explanation, the drummer crossed his arms over his chest and murmured, “I don’t trust him.”

  
Robin smiled knowingly. Luffy blinked, stating evenly, “He seems cool.”

  
It was then that Nami looked up from Chopper’s cellphone and spoke loudly enough to get everyone’s attention, “Hey, Viola mentioned a big Battle of the Bands coming to Sabaody in June.”

  
“Lola and Urouge were talking about it too. Apparently it’s Luffy’s uncle’s homecoming tour, or something,” Zoro added.

  
Luffy’s eyes grew wide as saucers, “SHANKS IS COMING BACK?!”

  
Nami nodded, “Sounds like it.”

  
The group erupted into excited chatter. Luffy’s uncle was a famous producer, who had moved to the West Coast of the United States many years ago, opening up his own studio and working with the biggest names. Luffy idolized him, and Zoro knew that the teen would do anything to impress the man, to make him proud. 

  
Zoro elaborated, “First prize is a free music video and three songs recorded with Shanks himself.”

  
His words were met with a chorus of eager words that all pointed at the same sentiment: That they simply had to enter. The cook cocked one of his spiraled brows in interest, and Robin patiently waited for more information.

  
He frowned, “There’s one catch, though. We have to submit an original song by February 1st in order to be considered.”

  
Luffy shrugged, “I don’t see the problem.”

  
The group grew quiet, uneasiness enveloping the previously keen discussions. A massive elephant wandered into the venue and plopped its giant behind next to the table with a thunderous thud. Was their frontman for real? He knew they were a cover band, right?

  
“It’s simple,” Luffy’s voice radiated an infectious determination that drew all eyes to him as he snickered, “We write a song.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of Zoro and Robin interacting during their sets, with Robin stepping up on the drum platform to converse with Zoro in the quieter songs. Rhythm section's gotta stick together!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying this so far :) <3


	3. Burnout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law is bored, tired, and over it all.  
> Luffy finds his notebook interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, [hiraeth_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan/pseuds/hiraeth_chan) has my heart. Please check out her wonderful stories!
> 
> This chapter's song is Burnout by Green Day.

Trafalgar Law woke with a start as a moist, leathery nose pressed against the skin of his cheek, accompanied by a lick of a tongue that was simultaneously scratchy and wet.

  
His golden eyes fluttered open, his vision a sea of unfocused white fur interrupted with two beady black eyes. A dark snout sniffed at his face, and a narrow muzzle opened, sending warm waves of breath that stank of stale kibble wafting from between pointed teeth with every pant. 

  
Law blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness in his bedroom. There was no light shining into the room, alerting him that the sun had yet to rise. Typically, at least a little bit of sunshine perforated the relatively opaque curtains that hung over the small window next to his computer desk, which would usually allow him to estimate the time when he woke. He guessed that, due to the shadows that crawled up from the corners of the grey walls, it was around 5am. Turning his head to the side, he caught sight of his cellphone lock screen, illuminated with a 5:13am against a black background. He had one notification.

  
The Great Samoyed at his bed side snorted, crooning a soft, “ _Awoo_ ,” in an attempt to get the teen’s attention. 

  
Law checked the message.

  * 5:07 – **Doffy**  
_Take your damn dog out._



As if agreeing with his uncle, the fluffy white canine barked impatiently, its feather duster of a tail whipping back and forth in unbridled excitement. It let out a short howl, that was cut off by the sound of a fist thumping against Law’s bedroom door.

  
“TAKE YOUR FUCKING DOG OUT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” 

  
The dark haired teen groaned, rubbing his eyes and smudging the remains of yesterday’s eyeliner. He stretched out his limbs, flexing his muscles and rolling his neck, mentally and physically preparing himself for the day. 

  
A soft mound of ivory fur rested its head on his bicep, pink tongue darting between dark gums to lap at Law’s cheek once more.

  
“Bepo,” He grumbled, lifting a hand to push the dog away. 

  
Bepo simply took this as an invitation to play, rearing up on his hind legs and letting out a strangled whine of anticipation. His pointed ears flicked back and forth and he pawed at Law’s chest as the teen pulled himself upright.

  
“Mornin’, buddy,” He yawned, ruffling the dog’s fur as he ran his slender fingers through the snowy strands. Bepo flopped down on the floor, rolling over and exposing his belly, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he stared lovingly up at his best friend. Law did not hesitate to give the canine exactly what he wanted, sliding off the bed and kneeling on the floor, causing Bepo’s leg to kick out in satisfaction as he vigorously scratched his fluffy belly. 

  
“Ready to go out?” Law asked quietly, standing and tugging a black and yellow hoodie over his undershirt. He tugged on some grey jeans and a pair of socks that matched his sweater, as his dog barked an affirmation, charging into the closed door with a muted _thud_!

  
There was a shout from the room next door, “DON’T MAKE ME ASK YOU AGAIN!”

  
The Samoyed’s ears laid flat against his skull, and he peered up at Law with an apologetic expression, before squeezing through the doorway as soon as the teen opened the door. Bounding down the stairs, the tags on his yellow collar jingled loudly, echoing around the pre-dawn stillness of the house. 

  
Sliding on some well worn converse sneakers, the teen stepped into the crisp mid October morning. The soles of his shoes smacked against the concrete sidewalks, Bepo tugging on his leash and leading Law down the street towards the nearby park. 

  
Despite the early hour meaning less sleep, Law rather liked being awake before the sun. There was a certain serenity to be found outside, as if the world had not yet woken from its slumber. The air was frigid and cold, the teen’s breath visible in smoky puffs as he exhaled, and the chirps of morning doves and sparrows seemed so much louder in the surrounding silence.

  
Reaching the greenery around the corner, Law relinquished his grasp on the leash, allowing Bepo to freely chase some squirrels. There was a sign detailing the local mandatory leash law, but considering there was no one around, he felt like risking it to let the Samoyed blow off some steam. 

  
He took a seat on a wooden bench, letting his mind wander as his eyes followed his furry friend’s romp between the large oak trees. 

  
He often considered his morning walk with Bepo the only tolerable part of his day. 

  
Dogs were good. Dogs were kind and soft and loved you unconditionally. Dogs were never too busy for you, and always came back when you let them chase the squirrels. 

  
Law was unsure if he could feel as strongly as he did about Bepo for anything or anyone anymore. He felt numb, disassociated, and so very tired all the time. His life was a never ending cycle of boredom and disappointment, trapped within a glass jar of expectations. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to be himself when everyone thought he should be like his late father. He wasn’t sure how to do what he wanted to do without feeling like he was only doing it for other people.

  
At what point did others paste their thoughts into his brain and tell him that he thought of them on his own?

  
Sometimes he felt that he was too self-aware, too smart for his own good. He knew of the illness that lurked in the corners of his mind, and he was trying his best not to give into the hooded monster that wielded the scythe of depression. He went to school every day, he listened to his friends crack wildly inappropriate jokes, he aced his assignments with little effort, and he spent all of his free time doing the one thing that he actually enjoyed – writing music. 

  
But what could he do when his only salvation brought him so much pain?

  
A stick was dropped at his feet. Bepo’s black eyes shined hopefully.

  
Law felt a pang rattle through his chest.

“Fine,” He mumbled, picking the chewed stick up from the ground and tossing it across the park, much to the white beast’s delight, “Just once, though.”

  
When the slobber-covered branch was placed by his sneakers once more, Law shook his head. “No, Bepo,” He sighed, though as he saw the dog’s ears droop, he instantly added, “How about some breakfast?”

  
With zero hesitation whatsoever, he was yanked by his arm as the large dog rushed back to his house. There was no way anything at all was getting in between the ivory bullet and his bowl full of kibble. Law briefly considered bringing his skateboard one of these days and hitching a ride on the furry monster. 

  
When Bepo’s bottomless pit of a stomach was partially satiated, the clock read 6 am. He still had a bit over an hour and a half to kill before he had to leave for school. The teen smirked as he considered the obvious way to pass the time. It seemed like the only option that would ease his troubled mind.

  
Making his way back to the grey box that was his room, his canine trotting at his heels, he stopped in the hallway, listening at the door of the room adjacent to his. There was soft snoring coming from inside. His uncle was asleep, and he preferred to keep it that way. He would have to be quiet. 

  
Entering through the door with a yellow smiley face painted on the front, his eyes passed over the various awards and plaques hung on the walls that he had earned for his (minimal) scholastic efforts, the pile of monochromatic clothes by his closet, and the various band posters above his bed, before landing on the black acoustic guitar the sat on a stand in a corner. Sitting in his desk chair with the instrument resting in his lap, he turned on the lamp fixed to the surface that was rarely used for studying, letting the golden light wash over his worn, dog eared notebook. 

  
The cardstock cover was a simple black, the edges of the pages that jutted out from the side soft from continued used. He flipped to an empty page close to the back of the book and placed a pen in the bind, turning his attention to the guitar on which he leaned over. Strumming absently, he began to hum a melody under his breath. It was a tune he had been working on for the last little while, but none of the lyrics he had come up with seemed to fit.

  
He scrawled down various words that came to mind, in no specific pattern. Simply anything that stood out, like, _cemetery_ , or _cryptic_ , or _combustion_. Every now and then he would write a phrase he liked, just to keep track of all of his ideas. 

  
Bepo curled up at his feet, sighing happily as Law transitioned into Say Anything’s _I Want To Know Your Plans_ , singing quietly under his breath. The dog liked it when he sang, and that fact always made Law’s chest uncomfortably warm. The Samoyed was just too cute.

  
As the words left his lips, he marveled at the amount of love that was put into the lyrics. The chorus was so full of adoration, it gave him chills. There was a small part of him that he had long since buried beneath a mound of depression, that piped up, telling him that it would be so nice if he had someone that made him want to pour his lovey dovey emotions into song. Of course, that thought was quickly murdered by a barrage of arrows, screaming that he didn’t deserve love, that he was a burden, that he was incapable of feeling such emotions, not after his father…

  
The alarm on his phone went off, alerting him that it was time to commence his trek to school. 

  
Good. He didn’t want to think about this sort of thing, anyway.

  
He gave Bepo a pat on the head, tossing a treat from the jar he kept on his desk onto the bed. The dog, knowing the drill, leapt into the mound of blankets and curled up, ready to nap the day away. Careful to keep quiet to prevent waking his uncle, Law freshened up in the bathroom before exiting the house with his board and his bag, locking the door behind him. Pulling his large black headphones over his head, he began to skate to school while the sounds of Boys Night Out’s album _Trainwreck_ kept him company. 

  
The sight of Penguin’s shitty old Toyota Camry did nothing but instill a sense of dread deep in the black void that had eaten his stomach long ago. It wasn’t that he disliked his childhood friends, no. It was that it signalled another day of monotonous routine through which he would have to pretend to be a normal human. He was the slightest bit grateful that his intimidating, sullen appearance dissuaded most peers from interacting with him. No one wanted to bother Trafalgar Law, the creepy ‘emo’ kid. 

  
Thankfully, convincing his two best friends that he was fine and dandy was never a difficult task. Even if they probably didn’t believe him, they knew to leave him alone when it came to emotional baggage. 

  
Grumbling a faint greeting, he tugged off his headphones and skidded to a stop in front of his friends. The two teens, clad in the most ridiculous hats (he was never sure why they bothered, as they would have to be removed as soon as they entered the school due to the dress code), sat atop the trunk of the car, smoking as they discussed the newest glitches found in a highly anticipated video game. They paused their conversation and grinned at his arrival.

  
Shachi, his ginger hair fanning out beneath his baggy teal cap with the red brim, turned to Penguin and asked, “Hey is it me or did it just get colder?”

  
The other teen grinned, his eyes shining in amusement below the black hat embroidered with his own name, “It’s not you, it’s the arrival of Mr. Doom and Gloom himself.” He turned his attention to Law, “Who’s happiness are you gonna drain today?”

  
“Hardy har har, very funny,” The dark haired teen rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in the pockets of his snug jeans. He leaned against the side of the car and thumbed through the news on his phone as his friends continued to chatter amongst themselves. 

  
He paused as an article on Donquixote Rosinante appeared in his recommendations. The title read, “Celebrating The Life of Grunge Hero, Corazon”. Law’s yellow gaze flitted to the date at the top of his screen. Ah. October 15th. Of course. 

  
It had been 8 years.

  
“Law? Hey, Law? Yo, Trafalgar, are you listening?” Shachi’s voice distracted from the current of emotions slamming against his mental dam. 

  
“Hmm?” He looked up from his phone, his throat feeling constricted. It was hard to swallow, hard to breathe. He blinked twice, willing the article to disappear from his memories. He couldn’t break down now. He had to push it all away. He told himself to focus on his friend’s voice. 

  
“He asked if you’re going to the Halloween dance on the 31st?” Penguin clarified, concern written across his face.

  
“Isn’t the 31st a Wednesday?” Law raised an eyebrow, grateful that his friends would ask him something so blatantly idiotic to pull him out of his spiraling thoughts, “Why on earth would I go to a fuckin school dance?”

  
“Because we’re going, duh,” Shachi shrugged, “C’mon man, it’ll be fun.”

  
“There will be tons of hot girls in skimpy costumes!” Penguin added.

  
Law fought the urge to roll his eyes into the back of his head, instead settling for a blank stare in the teen’s direction. Clearly his friends either did not know, or did not care, about his sexual orientation. He still wasn’t quite sure if he was attracted to anybody, but he definitely knew he was _not_ interested in the opposite sex.

  
Then, both boys stared at the dark-haired teen with wide, pleading puppy dog eyes. “Please, Law? For us?” They begged.

  
He understood. There was a bet involved. He just knew it. 

  
That red-headed woman in his grade who hung out with The Straw Hats ran an underground gambling ring out of the school’s cafeteria. She would spin the hottest gossip and trends into odds that she broadcasted on her private Twitter page, and students would message her to place their bets. The money would be delivered to her during lunch, via a small box that sat on the windowsill next to the garbage can her friend group sat beside. Every day, she would subtly place the box on the surface, close enough to her that her eye was always on it, and participants would place their money in a labeled envelope into the box while they emptied their trays into the garbage can.

  
Was it the most inconspicuous of illegal operations? Of course not. However, most of the teachers turned a blind eye. In fact, they even participated. Rumour had it that Mr. Fujitora had won big for going against the odds and insisting Roronoa Zoro would pass his geography test last week(Turns out he had had insider knowledge that the 18 year old was getting tutored by 10th grader Tony Tony Chopper). 

  
Law was certain that if he were to check, he would see that people were betting on whether he would be attending the school dance. Worse, it seemed his idiot friends had picked the wrong outcome.

  
With a heavy sigh, he decided he would have to attend, to protect Penguin and Shachi’s pockets. They didn’t need to know, though. He would let them squirm in their regret. 

  
The first bell rang, and the three stepped through the side door of the school. They made their way up to the third floor, where their lockers just happened to be in the middle of “Make-out Alley”, a short hallway that branched off the main path and was a rather popular location for, uh, canoodling. 

  
With a hissed order to move out of the way, Law tugged his locker door open as the small brunette clashing braces with a tall blond shuffled to the side, lips never separating. He grabbed his binder of Philosophy notes, waved goodbye to his friends, and entered the classroom across the hall.

  
He took his usual seat at the back of the class, by the window, and tuned out the morning announcements, watching the yellowed leaves cling to their branches as the autumn winds rocked the trees. He opened his binder to the notes from the last class, doodles and phrases scrawled in the margins of the photocopied handout. 

  
There was a rustle as a familiar blond student took his seat next to him. 

  
Law nodded politely as Sanji waved with a amicable smile.

  
He would consider Sanji an acquaintance, at best, but he was no stranger. Law tolerated the boy’s company more than that of most others’, at least. 

  
Sanji ran the school’s Pop Choir along with the Student Body President, Vivi. Law had volunteered to provide accompaniment for the choir, as the opportunity to work on his piano skills rarely presented itself ever since he quit his lessons. The choir often practiced interesting takes on more popular songs, as well, so it was a little more interesting than practicing church hymns and classic choral pieces. The best part was that he never had to perform with them, as whenever they held a showcase, he was back stage, simply playing the piano. No one ever saw him, and that was what made it bearable.

  
Law had seen Sanji’s vocal talent in action every Tuesday and Thursday, and had a great deal of respect for the blond teen. Not to mention that he had also chosen to take 12th Grade Philosophy this semester, and if he ever needed someone to study with, he had an option. That was unlikely, though, as Law consistently made the honour roll with very little effort every term. 

  
Mr. Aokiji had a student in the front row distribute the lesson for the day. They were to talk about ethics, though Law was too interested in the notes from the last class. Renee Descartes concept of “I think therefore I am,” was simply too captivating for the brooding teen at the moment. 

  
He felt as though it tied into his earlier thoughts of not being quite sure whether his ideas were his own or if he was simply mirroring those around him. How did he know if he actually existed if his thoughts were copies of other peoples’? Perhaps he was a clone of somebody and his entire life was a lie…

  
He scrawled, _“I think, therefore I’m not/A copy of them left to rot/A zombie’s unoriginal, don’t you think?/A sea of corpses where I’ll sink,”_ in jagged penmanship along the side of the sheet on Descartes. Was it dark? Yes. Was it lame? Only if it was executed without the right music. He would consider it. He wasn’t quite sold.

  
He could feel Sanji’s eyes on him the whole class.

  
When the bell rang, the blond made no move to leave the classroom, and Law felt his social anxiety rear it’s ugly head. He took a deep breathe, and stood swiftly, not even bothering to pack up his binder. He simply held it against his chest as he sped towards the door, ignoring Sanji as he called, “Hey! Law!”

  
Whatever he wanted, he could wait to ask him about it when he was cornered in tomorrow’s Pop Choir rehearsal.

  
12th Grade Biology went by swiftly, with Penguin providing a welcome distraction from the daily monotony as the lab partners were tasked with dissecting a frog. His friend had a weak stomach, and spent the majority of 2nd period squealing and peering through his fingers, while Law silently sliced the amphibian open with a stainless steel scalpel. Mr. Crocus applauded his deft fingers afterwards, much to the teen’s chagrin as he shrunk beneath the class’s judging gaze. Roronoa Zoro looked especially jealous. Why he had a scalpel in his mouth, Law would never know. 

  
Law was particularly fond of biology. Perhaps he would look into a post-secondary medical program one day. Maybe.

  
He had MSIP next, which stood for Multi-Subject Instructional Period. It was an experimental educational schedule that selected schools across Canada were testing out. Essentially, four 75 minute classes had 15 minutes shaved off of them in order to add a fifth period specifically for studying and completing homework. He had heard that American schools had a similar concept referred to as Study Hall, but he could not be sure if it was exactly the same, nor did he care enough to look the answer up. 

  
As he pulled out the homework that had just been assigned to him, he plugged his headphones into his phone and shuffled his music library. The first song that coursed through the wires was _MakeDamnSure_ by Taking Back Sunday, and he nodded his head to the tune as he completed his assignment in approximately seventeen minutes. 

  
After staring at a silly chalk drawing someone had left on the black board (It vaguely resembled the screaming face of the 11th grader with the long nose, though the name of the teen escaped him) for six minutes, Law tugged his ragged notebook out of his backpack and got to writing. He expanded on his zombie Descartes idea, and the more he wrote, the more he disliked the concept.

  
“Whatcha writing?” Monkey D. Luffy stared at him with wide eyes, a mischievous grin across his face.

  
“Mind your business, Mr. Straw Hat,” He grumbled in response, hoping the 11th grader would turn around to the desk in front of him and leave him alone. Typically, Luffy would get permission from the teacher to spend his study period in the music room, where he most certainly thought of more creative ways to annoy Law with his trombone. 

  
“But I wanna know,” Luffy whined, cocking his head to the side and trying to read upside down.

  
Law placed a hand over the words, and he watched Luffy’s dark eyes wash over the peculiar rounded crosses and letters that were tattooed across his skin. There was no disgust in his expression when his gaze flitted back to Law’s scowl. 

  
“Fine,” Luffy huffed, “Well, what are you listening to?”

  
Without waiting for permission, the invasive teen tapped on Law’s phone screen, lighting it up with the album art.

  
“Oh! PUP! What a good band,” He chirped, “ _Morbid Stuff_ is a good album, but nothing will ever beat _If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You_ , and _DVP_ back to back.”

  
“Monkey D. Luffy! This is not a period for chit chat!” Mr. Smoker barked. Law was unsure why he was allowed to smoke not one, but two cigars in class. They were in an ancient, poorly ventilated building. All other issues aside, how was that okay?

  
Luffy frowned, shooting Law a look that said he wasn’t quite done with him, before turning back around to his desk.

  
When the phone rang and demanded Mr. Smoker’s attention, Luffy was leaning on Law’s desk once more.

  
“Sanji says you write songs.”

  
Law didn’t think he had ever met someone more annoying.

  
“Write a song for us,” Luffy blabbered, “We need to win this Battle of the Bands but we need to enter with an original song and we’ve been trying to write for ten days now but it’s _so hard_ and – ”

  
“No,” Law responded flatly, “I think you’ve confused me for someone else.”

  
“Nu-uh,” The teen with the shaggy black hair and the big dark eyes shook his head, “Sanji says you’re always writing lyrics in philosophy.”

  
“I said no,” He repeated through clenched teeth, his temper flaring. His fists clenched, his pencil threatening to snap as he hissed, “Leave me alone.”

  
“Luffy! Don’t make me send you to Principal Sengoku’s office!” Mr. Smoker scoffed, banging his fist on the desk in front of him.

  
“You can give me your real answer in music class,” Luffy shrugged, completely unfazed by both Mr. Smoker’s threat and Law’s blatant disinterest. 

  
Law was beyond grateful when the bell signaling lunch break chimed. 

  
After a brief stop at his locker, he slid onto the bench of a cafeteria table across from Penguin and Shachi. He pulled a granola bar out of his bag while his friends chattered on about their mornings and gazed around the room. 

  
The cafeteria was big. It rivaled the size of the gymnasium, which was arguably the largest room in the school. The walls of the lunch area were an ugly yellow crudely painted over brick, which was truly a disgrace to his favourite colour. Rows upon rows of tables with attached benches stretched from wall to wall, save for a small alcove where the lunch ladies ladled questionable substances onto vinyl trays. 

  
His eyes fell on The Straw Hats and their friend group, laughing and goofing around while the teen with the long nose extravagantly acted out what was most certainly an interaction from earlier in the day. His mind wandered to Luffy’s previous proposition.

  
“Anything interesting today, Law? Or are you just going to wax poetic about how pointless your life has become?” Penguin poked fun at him, while literally jabbing his index finger into Law’s upper arm. 

  
Deciding that a very rare opportunity that required guidance had presented itself, Law nodded, “Actually, Mr. Straw Hat himself asked me to write them a song for a Battle of the Bands. Apparently they have to enter with an original piece.”

  
Both teens blinked, a slight shimmer of excitement in their eyes. It was silent for a moment before Shachi slammed his hands down on the table and screamed, “WHAT?! THAT’S SO COOL!”

  
The outburst caused Luffy to look over from his table. When his eyes met Law’s, he beamed a sunny grin and waved excitedly. Sanji and Zoro nodded curtly. The rest of the group looked confused. 

  
“Shut up, you idiot,” Law snarled, “I told him I wouldn’t do it.”

  
“Why not?” Shachi frowned, looking genuinely disappointed.

  
“I don’t see why I should,” Law shrugged, “It’s not my problem they don’t know how to write music.”

  
Penguin spoke with his mouth full of sandwich, “What’s in it for you?”

  
“Nothing that I know of,” Law admitted.

  
Penguin rolled his eyes, “They probably think working with the “best cover band in the region” is a gift on its own.”

  
Shachi frowned, nudging his friend in the side, “Nah man, they seem like cool dudes. Plus, Nico Robin is in that band. Remember her?!”

  
Penguin’s jaw dropped open, revealing half-chewed ham, cheese, and – Law shuddered – _bread_. 

  
“Yo, he’s right, dude,” Penguin seemed to have changed his mind, “You should totally join and bang Nico Robin. She’s so fuckin’ _cool_.”  


Law sighed. They really had no idea, did they? 

  
“Look, it just seems like a lot of work for no reason,” Law muttered, fingers absently fiddling with the granola bar wrapper in his hand. 

“It seems like a good reason to not be home,” Shachi whispered, his eyes watching Law with a certain understanding that sent chills down his spine. How dare he?

  
“Plus, you could use more friends, dude. We at least talk to other people in our classes,” Penguin added, teeth savagely ripping another bite out of his sandwich.

  
Law considered their words for a moment. Shachi wasn’t wrong. Working with the band would provide Law with a reason to stay away from home for longer periods of time, to avoid his uncle. Any time away from him was better than time spent under his tyranny. 

  
Penguin, on the other hand, was entirely mistaken. Law did not want any more friends. The two dumbasses he was sitting with were more than enough. Law liked his space. He liked peace and quiet. He liked knowing what was going to happen day to day.

  
A nagging voice spoke up in the back of his head, reminding him that just that morning he had been complaining about feeling apathetic about the routine he had fallen into.

  
Then what was stopping him?

  
“What if I’m not as good as they think I am?” Law asked, an edge of uncertainty to his voice.

  
Shachi grinned toothily, “Well, there’s only one way to find out, right?”

  
Fourth period flew by with lightning speed as Law nervously bit his lip and twiddled his thumbs, scared of the words that he knew would fall out of his mouth. Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to open himself up to the unknown?

  
If so, he needed a plan. 

  
He would help them write the song, but that was it. He would use it as an opportunity to work on song writing with an entire band instead of just his acoustic guitar. He would not befriend the band, no. He would stay calm, and composed, and aloof. He was helping them, and it would stay that way.

  
Thus, when Luffy noisily plopped himself and his trombone down behind Law in music class, Law’s skin erupted into goose flesh. 

  
“Law,” Luffy drew out the _aw_ in his name as he leaned forward, peering over Law’s shoulder, “Will you write us a song?”

  
Law did not turn to face the teen, instead focusing on the bouncing of Mr. Sohl’s afro as he bent down to grab his violin from its case. He always like to start the class with a demonstration. He could feel Luffy’s eyes boring into the back of his head.

  
“When’s the Battle?” Law murmured evenly, no trace of emotion in his low voice.

  
Luffy answered swiftly, “June something. Submission deadline is February something. I don’t know. Nami knows.”

  
Law nodded stiffly. Nami. That was the name of the red-head who had convinced his friends to bet on him. Perhaps he could get back at her somehow. 

  
The logical part of his brain slapped his wrist and reminded him to stick to the plan. He was not going to form relationships with them. He didn’t want that. He wanted to be left alone.

  
“Fine,” He grumbled, ignoring the excited gasp that escaped the boy who was one year his junior (Law himself was simply taking 11th Grade Music as an afterthought, and had already signed up for 12th Grade Music the following semester). 

  
He finally turned his head to glance over his shoulder at Luffy. The boy was smiling the largest smile he had ever seen, all teeth and gums. It was so wide that it squinted his eyes into little slits.

  
Law couldn’t help but think that it suited him. 

  
“We have practice tomorrow at 4pm,” Luffy gushed, practically bounding in his chair, “Franky’s gonna love you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first sentence and pulled a total Rosa Diaz:  
> "I've only had Samoyed Bepo for a sentence but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room, and then myself."
> 
> Thus concludes my introductory dump of chapters for this story. Next chapter will be up on Sunday, January 10th - Law's first practice with The Straw Hats!
> 
> Hit me up on [tumblr](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com/) :) <3


	4. Born Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy rushes through the school day, eagerly anticipating Law's first band practice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 wooo!  
> Hope you are all enjoying the story so far :) 
> 
> This chapter's title is a song by Hollerado. Just some good ol' vibes, you know? I imagine it captures how Luffy feels by the end of the practice, but as always, my interpretation is just an interpretation.
> 
> Now, without further ado...

A sharp pain flew through his arm as his hand was once again smacked away from the ever so inviting bento box across the cafeteria table.

  
“Not today, you bottomless pit,” Zoro scowled as Luffy pulled his fingers away, pouting at the rejection. 

  
With a heavy sigh, Sanji pulled the extra lunch that he always crafted out of his bag. Nami looked appalled, and argued that she had already given him money for food from her own personal Luffy reservoir (a subcategory of the Band Fund she collected). Usopp snorted as if she didn’t understand the obvious. Chopper and Vivi stared at Luffy with a mix of awe and amazement as he opened the tupperware of seafood pasta and began to shovel it into his mouth as though he wasn’t sure when his next meal would be.

  
“I’m going to need all of you to take turns forgetting your lunch, so I’m not just bringing an extra meal for Luffy, okay?” Sanji grumbled, standing from his spot on the bench and thumbing a cigarette out of his carton of smokes. With a brief gesture that said he would be back shortly, the blond cook exited the cafeteria to make his way off school grounds for his midday nicotine kick. 

  
The group began to chatter idly amongst themselves as Luffy consumed his second lunch of the day. Usopp was entertaining Chopper with a dramatic tale of how he had won the Pokémon World Championship, and the younger teen stared up at him with admiration, as if he wasn’t aware that he hadn’t even qualified for the online tournament in the first place. Zoro, across from Luffy, was eating silently, eyes fixed on the rice balls in his lunch, and Luffy decided to try once more to get a piece, despite the pasta in front of him. Another slap sent his hand recoiling. 

  
Nami and Vivi were discussing the upcoming Halloween Dance, and Luffy perked up the moment the blue-haired Student Body President began talking about costumes. 

  
“I’m thinking of maybe going as Cleopatra,” Vivi mused to the red-head, “Is that too basic?” 

  
Nami shook her head, looking her up and down before grinning, “Not at all, you could totally pull it off. Plus, Cleopatra was a powerful female pharaoh. It’s fitting for our kickass female President.”

  
Vivi nudged her friend affectionately, “You can be my Mark Antony?”

  
With a giggle, the other girl shook her head, “No can do, I was already thinking of going as Black Widow.”

  
“What if we all went as The Avengers?” Usopp chimed in, Chopper nodding along enthusiastically while Zoro seemed entirely indifferent. 

  
“I wanna be a pirate,” Luffy pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. He glared stubbornly at Usopp.

  
“You were a pirate last year, Luffy,” Vivi sighed, “And the year before that.”

  
Luffy shoved a forkful of pasta in his mouth, exclaiming, “Then I’ll be King of the Pirates!”

  
Nami shook her head with an exasperated sigh. He didn’t understand why she thought it was a bad idea. Pirates were free. Pirates lived on the sea and did as they pleased. Pirates were cool.

  
“Maybe you guys can do a pirate theme for the Halloween show I got you,” The red-head considered, lifting a spoonful of soup from her thermos to her lips as she added, “Saturday, October 27th with Cipher Pol 9 and Cherry Bomb.”

  
Zoro and Luffy groaned simultaneously. 

  
“Ugh, CP9 is the _worst_ ,” The younger teen whined, emphasizing his complaint by dramatically allowing his head to flop forward onto the surface of the cafeteria table.

  
“They’re just so pretentious,” Zoro agreed, “I don’t get why Robin likes them so much.”

  
Vivi shrugged, “Robin likes them because she rightfully thinks a female drummer singing lead vocals at the same time is empowering to women, and that their songs provide a feminist viewpoint that is hard to find in the music scene.”

  
Nami hummed in agreement. Chopper and Usopp looked torn, as if they weren’t sure which team to side with. 

  
“Okay, yeah,” Zoro grumbled, “But they don’t have to be so damn _snooty_ about it. They think they’re so superior because they’ve got a girl in their band.”

  
Luffy puffed out his cheeks, chin still resting on the sticky table, “Cherry Bomb isn’t presen-chus.”

  
Zoro shot Nami and Vivi a look that essentially said, “See? This guy gets it.”

  
Vivi rolled her eyes while the red-head scoffed, “Congratulations, you’re both idiots.”

  
Chopper whispered something to Usopp about making sure they cheer extra hard for CP9 at the next gig. Usopp shot a nervous glance at Nami before nodding. 

  
As the bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang, the group packed up their belongings. Nami made sure to snag her little gambling box from the window sill next to the table. The shoebox was almost overflowing with miniature envelopes. Dances always made for hot stakes, and Nami took a cut of the money as an organizational fee, which she then added to the Band Fund. Luffy considered that they would probably be far worse off without her. 

  
Chopper and Zoro headed to the 10th Grade Geography class they were taking, that the latter had thought was going to be simple and had been sorely mistaken, while Nami and Vivi went off to 12th Grade Media. Usopp and Luffy hung back at the side door and waited for Sanji to return from his smoke. It was routine at this point. That was the main reason that Luffy loved his friends so much. Even if they were doing the same thing every day, it always felt fresh and exciting when he was surrounded by their unique personalities. It was always _fun_.

  
When Sanji re-entered the building, the three teens made their way to the 4th floor for their 11th Grade Home Economics course. They had chosen to take it for two reasons: 

  
1\. It was known to be a blow off course.  
2\. They got to eat some of Sanji’s cooking from time to time.

  
The worst part of class was easily the climb up the sweaty stairs from the 1st floor to the 4th. 

  
There were no desks in the Home Economics classroom. Instead there were several long high-top tables that functioned well as counters for the days where they were tasked with cooking. Three tall stools sat behind every table, which was entirely too perfect for the trio of friends. 

  
Taking their seats at the table farthest from the blackboard and closest to the row of ovens, Sanji checked the large calendar posted on the wall next to the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Luffy watched as he made his way back to their table, a disappointed expression on his face as he sighed, “No cooking today.”

  
Usopp frowned. 

  
Luffy whined, “Then what’s the point? Let’s just leave.” As if to accentuate his words, he stood and began to pack up his binder.

  
“You will do no such thing, Luffy,” Mr. Silvers warned in a light tone as he sauntered to the blackboard, scrawling BUDGETING across the surface with orange chalk.

  
Luffy shot back down into his seat. He knew better than to mess with Mr. Silvers. He was a wise, well-rounded man with sharp eyes that glinted beneath round wire glasses, and though he was exceptionally good natured, he did not approve of skipping class. Primarily a History teacher, Luffy had spent many hours eagerly listening to his lectures on the Golden Age of Piracy, and the fact that his second favourite teacher was teaching Home Economics was a silver lining to taking the class, on top of Sanji’s cooking. 

  
The hour went by slowly, as Luffy was eagerly awaiting the end of the day and could hardly sit still. He tapped his foot and drummed his fingers on the table until Sanji snapped at him to stop, to which he cheerfully responded, “Nope.” He couldn’t help being excited. It was going to be a band practice to remember, after all. He couldn’t wait to hear Law play. He just _knew_ he was good. He had to be. There was something about him that promised Luffy he would be. 

  
When the bell rang, Luffy booked it out of the room without so much as a ‘see you later’ to Sanji and Usopp. He considered sliding down the banister of the stairwell to the music room, but he just so happened to run into Nami as she ascended the stairs, and he would be lying if he said the woman’s stern glare didn’t scare him the slightest bit.

  
“Brook! Hey! Got any recommendations today?” Luffy chirped, bounding up to the teacher in the midst of tuning his violin. 

  
The eccentric man cocked an eyebrow and grinned, “As a matter of fact, _Mr. Sohl_ does! I was listening to the local radio station and it was airing a spectacular live concert of a band that had slipped from this old memory of mine.”

  
Curiosity lighting his insides, Luffy readied the browser on his phone, “Tell me about them.”

  
“They’re called First Division, and they played a large role in the development of the grunge movement of the 90’s. Their raw sound made me nostalgic for simpler times, where lyrics spoke of honest angst and the more distorted a guitar, the better,” Mr. Sohl sounded wistful as he lifted a bony index finger to his chin. When he pulled it away, there was a smudge of chalk on his aged skin, “Though, that is simply the opinion of this old bag of bones.” 

  
The cool thing about Brook was that, despite his fame in the jazz genre, he appreciated a wide variety of music types. Whenever he heard an artist that reminded him of his favourite students, he would happily share the name with Luffy, and the latter loved expanding his music library with the teacher’s direction.

  
Typing the group’s name into his search engine, a photo of 3 men popped up. They were all clad in oversized plaid, and they looked thoroughly unimpressed by the concept of a photo shoot. The man in the front, the clear poster boy of the band, had a peculiar tuft of blond hair atop his head, prompting Luffy to say, “Blond dude looks like a pineapple.”

  
There was a sniff of disgust from behind. Luffy spun around on the heel of his tattered slip-on vans to beam at Trafalgar Law, who had taken his seat with his tenor saxophone in hand, and was staring impassively at Luffy.

  
“Oi! Torao!” Abandoning his conversation with Brook, who simply chuckled knowingly, Luffy leapt forward and crouched next to Law’s chair.

  
“ _What_ did you just call me?” Law frowned, pulling the sheet music for the Pirates of the Caribbean theme out of his bag and placing it on the music stand in front of him.

  
“Torao! That’s your last name, right?”

  
“Trafalgar,” The teen corrected, his composure slipping as his eyes began to narrow.

  
“Yeah, Torao,” Luffy snickered, much preferring his name over the complicated one Law said. He thought it was funny how Law’s lips twisted into a scowl at his words. Luffy wondered what the dark-haired teen’s smile looked like, and pondered if he could make him laugh as easily as he could make him frown. His gut said his smile was probably something special. 

  
“You ready for practice today?” He enthused, standing to fetch his trombone case from across the room.

  
Law did not meet his eyes as he grumbled, “Yeah. Be there at 4:15.”

  
Luffy was beyond excited, the anticipation pumping through his body and blowing him up like a rubber balloon. He skirted through the halls of the school as the last bell rang, and made it to his locker in record timing. He managed to tug his yellow baseball cap onto his head before the rest of the group made it to their rendez-vous point. He paced around the block of lockers at the end of the hall, impatient and energetic.

  
“Geez Luffy, you’re going to burn your shoes up if you keep skidding around like that,” Sanji drawled, thumbing the rotating dial on the lock attached to his locker. 

  
Nami had arrived with him, as they were coming from their 12th Grade Business class. She grabbed Luffy by both shoulders and shoved her face near his, her big brown eyes set in stern determination as she stated, “Luffy. You need to calm down.”

  
“But I’m excited to jam with Torao,” Luffy argued, pulling away from the red-head and continuing his pacing. 

  
“She’s right, Luf, you’re gonna scare him off,” Zoro grunted as he arrived with Usopp and Chopper, a towel draped around his neck to catch the sweat that dripped from his damp hair. His last period of the day was 12th Grade Phys Ed, and it looked like Mr. Morgan had really put them through the ringer today. Zoro was one of his top athletic performers, and he took pride in being the best coach around. Thus, he had a tendency to push his team a little hard, not that Zoro minded, of course.

  
Usopp tugged on a light blue jacket, gathering his belongings and whining, “It’s a shame I’ll be spending my afternoon at Wally World, instead of seeing Torao shred the guitar.”

  
Chopper nodded, placing his 10th Grade History book directly into his bag instead of back in the locker with the rest of his textbooks. “I can’t go to practice either. My mom will kill me if I don’t study for my test tomorrow,” He frowned, “It sucks. I bet Torao is _really good_.”

  
Sanji scoffed, rolling his eyes and tapping his foot against the ground. 

  
“So, we’re just calling Law _Torao_ now?” Nami stared accusingly at Luffy. When he shrugged, she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, “This is why I need Vivi around to hang out with you morons. Where is she anyway?”

  
“Probably Pop Choir, already,” Sanji muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading off to the music room from which Luffy came. He shot a, “See you later,” over his shoulder as he turned the corner and disappeared from sight. 

  
Usopp gestured to the remaining members of the group, “I can give you all a lift home or to the jam space. I have enough time before work.”

  
They piled into Usopp’s extremely mediocre black Honda Civic, with Nami, Zoro, and Luffy jumping out moments later when the car pulled off to the side of the road by Franky’s lot. The trio waved goodbye to their friends as the dark car drove away, before surveying the area for their favourite mechanic.

  
“OI! FRANKY!” Zoro shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.

  
There was a muffled response followed by a series of clinking sounds that seemed to be originating from behind the door that led to the jam space. Exchanging a confused glance, they shrugged and opened the door.

  
The burly mechanic was on his knees, arms filled with bottles of various beverages knocking against each other as he moved them into the mini fridge. With a bright grin, he pulled two beers from the fridge, a water bottle, a tangerine lemonade, and an Orange Crush soda and placed them on the coffee table in front of the couch where Robin sat with a large fluffy orange cat on her lap. The bassist lifted the hand that had been absently stroking the feline to wave in welcome at her friends, her animal companion meowing in protest at the discontinued affection and leaping to the ground. 

  
“What’s with the cat?” Zoro asked the mechanic as the latter took a seat at the high top table, cracking open his beer. Zoro wasted no time in grabbing the other beer that had been pulled, plopping himself down on the couch next to Robin as she reached for the water bottle. 

  
“He’s my new buddy!” Franky exclaimed, watching the well-fed mound of fluff push itself against Nami’s legs, “He’s been coming by the shop for the last couple days, so I decided to take him in. Named him Sunny! Vet says he ain’t got no microchip or anything.”

  
Nami crouched down to scratch the cat beneath the chin, cooing, “Why hello Sunny! Who’s a handsome boy? You are!”

  
Luffy chirped a simple, “Cool,” before grabbing his soda and plopping down at his usual place on the floor. 

  
“Business slow today?” Nami asked as she slid onto the seat opposite Franky, sipping the citrus beverage the man had procured just for her.

  
The older man nodded, his blue locks flopping with the movement. He flicked his hand in a gesture that screamed nonchalance, and explained, “I felt like watching my favourite kids rehearse today, so I closed up early. No client calls or anything for the second half of the day, anyway.”

  
“Your company is always lovely, Franky,” Robin looked up from her reading material to shoot their landlord a smile. Luffy craned his next to try and read the front cover that hung off her lap. He couldn’t make out all the words as her thigh was in the way, but he managed to notice _Civilizations_ and _The Years,_ so he was certain it had something to do with ancient history.

  
“We have a new friend jamming with us today,” Luffy beamed, grabbing his ankles that were crossed over each other in front of him and rocking back and forth on his bottom. 

  
Franky hummed through a swig of his beer, eyebrow raising in surprise, “Say what now? Who’s the newbie?”

  
“I wouldn’t say he’s a friend,” Nami disagreed, her lips twitching into a tight frown. She had been the hardest to sell on the idea of Law helping them. Luffy knew that she was just worried he’d try to charge for his services.

  
Zoro added, “And he’s not _in_ the band.” 

  
Yes, they had been very adamant about that too. Though Luffy believed that the more the merrier, it had been decided that Law was to simply help them write a song, and that he was not joining the band at any point. The other members of The Straw Hats seemed quite content with their foursome. 

  
“So why is this not-friend, not-bandmate jamming with you?” Franky turned to Luffy for the answer.

  
He gave it willingly, “He’s gonna write us a song for Uncle Shanks’s Battle of the Bands!”

  
The conversation turned to Shanks and the big tour that would be coming to Sabaody in June. Franky explained how Luffy’s uncle was a very influential musician back while the mechanic was in his teens, before he turned to producing. Apparently he used to shred lead guitar for colossally famous rock band, The One Piece, in their early days, before they had made it big. He elaborated that Shanks had left on amicable terms as he wanted to experiment with different types of genres on his own, and had remained good friends with the members of the band. He had even hosted a tribute concert for them when they had disbanded in the early 2000’s following the death of the iconic frontman who went by the name of Roger. 

  
Luffy listened with stars in his eyes. He had always looked up to Roger, The One Piece being one of the bands that Ace had gotten into when Luffy was only twelve. Hearing their music around the house all the time had really spurred Luffy’s interest in the alternative and rock genres of music, eventually leading him into pop-punk and emo. If it hadn’t been for Ace and The One Piece, Luffy wondered if he would have turned out the same way at all, with a passionate love of music and a searing determination to make it in the industry. It was a strange thing to think about.

  
Franky was on his third bottle by the time Sanji threw open the door and cried, “Dear Nami! Sweet Robin! I’m so sorry to have made you both wait this long!” Without so much as a gesture to the figure behind him, Sanji dropped his bag by his amplifier, sucking on a cigarette as he walked by the rest of the group and grabbed a water bottle from the mini fridge. He smiled cheerily at the two women lounging in the jam space, before completely dropping the act and turning to the mechanic. “Hey Franky,” The blond greeted in his usual lower octave, nodding towards the orange cat that was now sitting on Nami’s lap, “What’s with the cat?” 

  
Luffy snickered as he noticed Zoro grunt in irritation. His friends were so awfully alike for two people who claimed to hate each other. 

  
His attention turned to Law, who stood awkwardly in the door way with his arms crossed over his chest. There was a canvas case in the shape of an electric guitar hanging off his back in the place of his backpack, and his yellow eyes stared at the instruments on the right side of the room instead of acknowledging the group on the left. 

  
“TORAO! YOU REALLY CAME!” Luffy bounced to his feet, throwing his arms around the tall teen lingering in the door way. 

  
He was immediately shoved away by two tattooed hands, an irritated scowl replacing the previously disinterested expression on his face. He muttered, “Well, I told you I would.”

  
Literally jumping up and down with excitement, the younger teen began to blabber, “You already know Sanji, of course, and I’m sure you’ve met Zoro and Nami, ‘cause you have classes together, but this is Robin! She’s our bassist and she’s a huge nerd who likes old things, but she’s super cool. And this is Franky! He’s our landlord but he buys us booze and charges us cheap rent and comes to all our shows so we like him. You’ll like him too, I’m sure!” He gestured to everyone as he mentioned their names, adding, “Usopp and Chopper and Vivi couldn’t make it today, but I just know you’ll become fast friends. Oh, but you already know Vivi too!” His words died out as he started to laugh. This was going to be so fun!

  
Law winced, though Luffy wasn’t sure why. 

  
“It’s a pleasure to meet ya! Torao, was it?” With a booming laugh, Franky lifted a large hand, opening up the mini fridge and showing off its insides, “Pick your poison! If you have any preferences, just let me know and I’ll hook ya up next time!”

  
Law nodded curtly, moving stiffly towards the fridge located past the group of prying eyes. His thin fingers tugged a bottle of water from the shelf, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip as he mumbled, “Thank you, Mr. Franky.”

  
“Mr. Franky’s my dad, kid! Well… wait, no, Mr. Tom is my dad,” Franky lifted his grease stained hands to his chin as his brow furrowed in confusion, “The point is, just Franky is fine!” 

  
Robin watched the new addition carefully, her terrifyingly analytical gaze flashing as she mused, “Good choice in beverage, Torao. We wouldn’t want you passing out mid song from dehydration.”

  
Law did not respond, but fixed her with an almost equally intrusive gaze. 

  
Sanji sighed, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table. He made his way over to his equipment and slung a guitar around his torso. As he began to tune the instrument, he called, “Are we doing this, or what?”

  
The rest of the band rose to their feet, and Luffy overheard Robin approach the blond as he pulled his electric guitar out of its case.

  
“Everything alright, Sanji? You seem on edge,” She murmured, concern in her voice.

  
Sanji responded through the pick in his mouth, “Just an awfully quiet walk over here is all.”

  
They commenced their setup, with Zoro’s test patterns on his drums drowning out the interview-like process that Nami and Franky were bestowing upon Law, who refused to sit down and get comfortable. The lanky teen leaned against the back of the couch, actively showing the mechanic and the manager that he was not interested in conversation. Both seemed to be unfazed, as they continued to ask him about his day, what classes he was taking, his thoughts on cats, and many other subjects. Law shot one-word answers over his shoulder to them, his sharp eyes remaining fixed on the band as they prepared to practice.

  
“Are you gonna set up, Torao?” Luffy chimed into the microphone, the question booming around the room.

  
Law shook his head, gaze flitting to the red telecaster slung around the younger teen’s waist. It almost looked like he approved of the guitar choice. “I’d rather watch for a song or two, first,” He stated coolly, though the way his fingers twitched gave away his nerves.

  
That simply spurred Luffy on more. He didn’t like when people felt uncomfortable. He would make Law want to jam with them. 

  
“What are we starting with, Captain?” Robin queried as everyone fell silent, ready to go.

  
Luffy grinned toothily, “I was thinking we could show Torao our versace, you know?”

  
There was a beat of silence before Zoro’s voice sounded behind the kit, “Do you mean versatility?”

  
“Yeah, versa-whatever,” Luffy chirped. 

  
Sanji and Robin blinked, their expressions a mix of disbelief, and yet, acceptance.

  
“How about _Misery, Let Me Go_?” Robin offered, “I’ve always been fond of the way you and Sanji sing it.”

  
“I second that!” Nami hollered from her seat next to Franky, spooking Sunny with her shout and sending the cat careening towards the door.

  
Franky jumped off his seat, muttering about bringing the cat to his house before they deafen him with their music, and that he would be right back. Law kept his eyes fixed on The Straw Hats, now in position and ready to play. 

  
Zoro counted them in and they began their cover of the Teen Violence song, Luffy and Sanji singing in perfect harmony over a driving root note courtesy of Robin’s purple bass guitar. 

  
“ _If you give me your heart, oh, tell me now. If you want it back, could you tear it out?_ ” The two guitarists crooned while Zoro lightly played along on the snare and the floor tom. Sanji took the lower part while Luffy sang the slightly higher melody, though after the first part of the verse, Luffy moved to the lead vocals. 

  
The song picked up in intensity as Sanji began to strum the guitar part, Zoro’s beat becoming more clear and defined. Robin grinned at Luffy as he began to nod his head along with the words, lips touching the microphone as he geared up for his favourite part.

  
Slamming his pick into his guitar strings, he picked up the intensity of his vocals, crying, “‘ _Cause you know well as I that we’re holdin’ chase. The dreams that had no time, now they have no place, longing for your embrace…”_

  
He drew out the last word as they entered the first chorus. Luffy grabbed the tambourine that he had placed at his feet, as he did not need his guitar for this part of the song. He began to shake the jingling instrument along with Zoro’s expert rhythm, falling back into a comfortable harmony with the blond guitarist to his left.

  
“ _So say what you want, and you got it, uh huh. Just say it, yeah, misery let me go. If you say what you want, then you got it. Oh, misery let me go-oh-oh, alright!”_

  
Tossing the tambourine to the ground, he vigorously strummed his guitar, banging his head along with the frantic noise that the band was producing. As Sanji lead the group in a solo teeming with nostalgia and some good ol’ surf-pop vibes, Luffy looked up at Law.

  
The teen who had been previously glaring icicles at Luffy as if it was his fault he had agreed to come here in the first place, was gripping the back of the couch so tightly his knuckles were white. His golden eyes were fixed on Luffy, who smiled boyishly at him as he returned behind the microphone for the next verse. 

  
For the rest of the relatively short song, the frontman never took his eyes off of the tall teen clinging to the couch. His lips were parted ever so slightly, his cheeks flushed. The look on his face was pure awe, only emphasized by the stars that glistened in his eyes, breathing new life into the tired skin around his sockets. It was as if he hadn’t expected them to be this good, to tackle a song by an unknown indie band and make it their own in such a unique way. In fact, as Luffy stomped around the jam space – leaning up against Sanji’s back as the lead guitarist let the ending riff pour from his strings as if cartoon lightning bolts flew from his guitar – he would even dare to say that Law was _impressed._ Luffy knew that he had seen them play live before, but there was an extra intimacy free from distractions that came wth rehearsing in the jam space that seemed to speak to him.

  
The last note reverberated throughout the room, accompanied by a hoot and a holler from Nami and Franky (who had returned shortly after the first verse). 

  
All eyes were on Law as they waited for his reaction.

  
He seemed lost for words. Slowly, he raised a hand and ran it through his dark hair, blinking multiple times as if trying to regain his composure. “Um,” He started. His voice sounded uneasy. He looked to Luffy and sputtered, “D-did Mr. Sohl tell you about Teen Violence too?!”

  
“Ya-huh!” Luffy exclaimed, “Brook always tells me about the coolest bands!”

  
Luffy exchanged a glance with Robin, Zoro, and Sanji. Everyone seemed mildly amused with how flustered Law was. There was only one way to make him feel more comfortable. 

  
Lifting his guitar off of his body, he gestured to Law, “C’mon, let’s play something.”

  
There was a flash of uncertainty in his yellow eyes.

  
“Do you like The Used?” Luffy tried, grinning when Law nodded, his mouth back to its default frown, “Okay, here. Take my guitar.”

  
As Law reached out a hand that trembled almost imperceivably, grabbing the instrument by the neck and slinging it around his body, Sanji offered, “I’ll start us off. Just follow along if you don’t already know the guitar parts.”

  
Nodding stiffly, Law strummed a set of chords quickly, adjusting to the feeling of a stranger’s guitar beneath his fingers. Luffy could tell that his jaw was clenched, that he was grinding his teeth. Though Trafalgar Law tried so hard to seem apathetic towards everyone and everything, it was obvious that he was _nervous_.

  
Luffy watched Sanji’s visible blue eye as he counted them in, beginning to sing as soon as the blond muttered the 4th beat. He began to strum in staccato along with Luffy’s vocals.

  
“ _Is it worth it can you even hear me? Standing with your spotlight on me! Not enough to feed the hungry. I’m tired and I felt it for a while now!_ ” He called, noticing the way that Law’s face lit up as he immediately recognized _The Taste Of Ink_.

  
Robin did a funky slide on the bass, joining in with Zoro as he pounded on the drums. The four Straw Hats grooved along with the music throughout the verse, with Law awkwardly standing off to the side, unsure of how to join in. 

  
Luffy, microphone clutched in his hands, marched right up to the uncomfortable teen. He was light on his feet, jumping along with the beat of the song, and he dropped the vocals as he neared the chorus. 

  
“C’mon!” He laughed, holding the mic away from his mouth, “I know you know this!”

  
It seemed to be the last push Law needed, as his yellow eyes hardened with a sort of determination, and a small smirk grazed his lips.

As Luffy began to sing the chorus, Law began to strum along. Content with his actions, Luffy skipped back over to the rest of the band, throwing his body around and pumping his fist to the music. He got all up in Robin’s face during the second verse, and she played into his actions, singing along into his microphone instead of her own. Sanji joined in with high harmonies on the second chorus, his face contorted with the effort of reaching the notes, though it sounded like it came easy. 

  
Through the song, Luffy noticed Law loosening up. He began to tap his foot first, followed by his head bobbing slowly along to the music. By the second chorus, he had begun to move his lanky body as a whole, pushing down with added emphasis on the accented strums and rocking back and forth on his heels.

  
Then, the most interesting thing happened. 

  
The chorus fell away to the bridge, the song quieting down into a wistful energy. With a simple nod, Sanji told him to take the picking part, while the blond played the higher chords. As tattooed fingers ran a neon orange pick through the strings, Luffy noticed something that made his heart skip a beat.

  
Law was _singing under his breath_.

  
Without thinking of the repercussions that rejection of this move would bring, Luffy grabbed Robin’s microphone stand, recklessly plopping it in front of the nervous man. His eyes widened as the silver technology entered his field of vision, and his face shot up to shoot Luffy a glare that screamed _no way_. However, it was to be noted that he did not stutter over any of the notes he was playing at the same time, which told Luffy that he wasn’t as opposed to the idea as he was pretending to be. He could make this happen if he played his cards right. 

  
Gesturing to the other three band members to extend the bridge, Luffy shot Law the biggest puppy dog eyes he could manage. Law frowned and shook his head. Luffy placed his palms on either side of his own microphone, as close as he could get to a begging motion while he held an object. Law narrowed his eyes.

  
Luffy pouted, “I’ll sing it with you!”

  
The hesitation written across Law’s face told him that he’d won. 

  
As he took a deep breath in, the most captivating voice he had ever heard wormed it’s way through his ears and into his brain, flowing throughout his whole body, and penetrating his heart. It stopped him in his tracks, and the words died in his mouth, which was honestly for the best as he could now fully appreciate the sound that was coming from the dark-haired, tattooed teen.

  
_“As long as you’re alive, here I am. I promise I will take you there.”_

  
He repeated the line, with Luffy singing the harmony through his wild grin, and they flew into the last verse of the song. Law came alive with the microphone in front of him, shouting the words along with the energetic front man, not caring that they were both singing the same melody. He threw his body into every movement, and he seemed more at ease, more comfortable, more _right_ than Luffy had ever seen him. 

  
The entire band picked up on the change in energy, and it was as if someone had flicked their power level from mid to high. The last chorus had everyone singing and jumping and laughing. Law had even wandered over from the couch at some point, placing himself next to Robin. Luffy considered the way he moved with such grace, the way that his voice stayed steady and unwavering despite the energy he was most certainly dispensing on his body. It was almost as if he was born to do this. Like Luffy, maybe he was meant to be a rockstar too.

  
The song faded out, but the endorphins remained high, surging through all of their bodies as they stood in a circle around Zoro’s drum kit, Nami and Franky’s applause fading into white noise. They were all flushed and sweaty and out of breath, and Luffy could not stop the surge of happiness he felt when he looked at Robin and Zoro and Sanji and…

  
Law had a small grin on his face, and Luffy couldn’t help but think he had been right. Law’s smile was something special. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our precious Law has the voice of an angel. How do you think the others feel about this?
> 
> Also, Teen Violence was a small indie band from southern Ontario and I looooove them. Their album 'Your Brain On Teen' is on Apply Music and Spotify and I highly recommend checking it out if rockin' vintage surf pop is your cup of tea.
> 
> I would love to hear what you guys are thinking so far! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on [tumblr](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com/) :) I would love to start taking requests, so if you have any ideas, let me know <3
> 
> See you next Sunday!


	5. I'd Do Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Straw Hats play a Halloween themed show, and Luffy pulls a reckless stunt.  
> Zoro and Robin load the van after their set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title = Because what kind of high school playlist wouldn't have a Simple Plan song?!

“He’s not going to show.”

  
“He will.”

  
“No, there’s no way. What’s stopping him from bailing?”

  
“Nami’s wrath, for one,” Robin smirked, her crystalline eyes trailing on the fiery manager as she stormed out of the washroom, clad in her themed Halloween outfit for the show. With an amused hum, the bassist added, “And she’s already in a bad mood. She’ll kill anyone who wastes our time. Time is money, you know.”

  
Zoro nodded, watching Nami tug at the tight fabric of the yellow jumpsuit she was wearing. It was cinched around the waist with a white belt, and the baggy pant legs were tucked into ivory boots. It was probably hard to tell who she was dressed as, unless she was seen with the band, who had finished their sound check and were putting off putting on their outfits for as long as possible. 

  
“Where’s Torao?” Luffy whined as he emerged from the other washroom, clad in green khakis with the cuffs rolled up, a long sleeved shirt of a matching shade, and a strip of orange fabric, with the eyes cut out, tied around his messy raven locks. Robin had stitched a panel of yellow fabric over the torso of the shirt, and had fashioned a green cardboard shell that was easily strapped around his backpack. An “ _M_ ” cut out of construction paper was taped onto the buckle of his thick brown belt. 

  
“Not here yet, Mikey,” Zoro chuckled. His grey eyes followed Robin as she rose from the seat next to him and made her way to the washroom next, a a similar outfit in her backpack. He turned his attention back to Luffy as the younger teen replaced the pretty bassist, flopping the upper half of his body into Zoro’s lap. He grunted, “Why do you need Torao?”

  
“I want to show him the sick costume Robin and I made him,” Luffy grinned.

  
Zoro bit his tongue. Law was going to break this poor kid’s heart.

  
Cursing as he noticed Curly Brow slide into the available second washroom to change, Zoro accepted that he would simply have to deal with his best friend using him as a pillow for a little bit longer. 

  
He was not convinced Law would even show up to the show, let alone wear a costume that solidified him as part of their _group_. The sullen teen had been to three more practices since he had first visited the jam space, and they hadn’t been able to get a hell of a lot out of him. He certainly hadn’t been much of a conversationalist. When they played together, however, it was a different story. Something seemed to click when Law slung a guitar around his frame and stepped up to a mic. He was different. He drew everyone’s attention, sucked them in. His charisma while performing was almost on par with Luffy’s, which was truly astounding. 

  
Then, the music would stop, and the skilled musician would revert back to the apathetic lump on the couch. 

  
Zoro wasn’t sure if he liked him that much, or if he even liked him _at all_ for that matter. One thing was for sure, he didn’t like the way the cook acted when the other guitarist was around. He was all jumpy, and quick to snap back at any remark. Zoro supposed that behaviour wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary, but his gut was telling him that there was something wrong, despite the lack of tangible evidence. 

  
There was a shout from the merchandise table that Nami was arranging, and he focused his gaze in her direction to see the red-head mouthing off to Usopp. The curly haired teen had his hands held up in front of him, a gesture of surrender, and Zoro couldn’t help but think that his pose coupled with the rat ears he wore atop his wild curls made him look rather pathetic. He wondered what the boy had done to piss her off, until he noticed a pile of stickers that had fallen to the floor, and the way Usopp’s fake tail jutted out at an awkward angle from the robe to which it was sewn. He must have knocked the merchandise down when he had walked by the table.

  
Zoro felt a pang of sympathy for the teen. Nami had been in a rotten mood ever since she had arrived late to the venue, rushing through the doors as sound check ended, clad in her ugly work uniform that consisted of a red polyester polo patterned to look like a strawberry, and a very unflattering banana visor atop her orange waves. He hadn’t pried much, as a rather pale Brook – who had picked her up from work in the first place – had warned him to let her cool off on her own. He mentioned something about the Saturday afternoon frozen yogurt rush, and demon children. Zoro did not want to know. He was grateful his part time job consisted of teaching others about his secondary passion of the sword. 

  
Then, Usopp leaned forward, twitching his nose to wiggle the whiskers glued to the tip, and stuck his tongue out. His mouth was moving, but Zoro could not make out the words he spoke. It didn’t matter what he said, because Nami laughed regardless, watching him fondly as he left her display and made for the sound booth. It wasn’t easy to make the witch smile when she was angry. 

  
“Time to change, Zoro,” Robin teased as she joined the frontman and drummer at their crusty table in the corner of the venue. 

  
Zoro’s heart leapt into his throat. 

  
The woman before him was dressed in a near identical outfit to Luffy’s, though she wore a purple mask over her eyes and a “ _D_ ” on her belt. However, she had the khakis tightened at her waist, and the way the fabric clung to her curves was simply… wow. Who would have thought that Donatello of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles could be so _hot?_

  
“Oh, my sweet Robin! You look simply marvelous in your costume!” 

  
Of course, Dartboard had to be the one to knock him out of his stupor.

  
The blond idiot waltzed up to the table, matching the others with his outfit, his red mask pairing with the _“R”_ on his belt. He slid a cigarette out of his carton, musing, “Do you think I have time for a smoke before… Oh, goddammit,” His face turned a bright shade of red and he grumbled, “I have to go onto the street in _this_ , don’t I?” 

  
Luffy sat up, effectively freeing Zoro’s legs, and snickered, “Yeah, but you look _awesome_!” 

  
“That’s debatable, idiot,” Ero-cook sighed, turning and making his way towards the entrance of the venue, shoulders drooping (which, instead of making him look defeated, actually made it seem as though he was trying to be more in character, with his hunched back pushing his makeshift shell into better view). 

  
“Okay, okay,” Zoro stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and grimacing at Robin as he passed her on his way to the washroom. He nodded to Franky, Brook (sipping a smoothie from Nami’s workplace), Chopper and Vivi as they lounged by the bar, the youngest teen nursing an apple juice. As his mother was the bartender – known as “Dr.” Kureha due to her signature drink, _The Remedy_ – a fake ID was out of the question for him. 

  
Both unisex rooms were occupied, so he leaned against the wall across from the ticket podium, watching as a petite woman with dyed lime green hair leaned on the wooden stand. She popped the bubble gum she was chewing noisily as she picked at her nails, which were painted in a blue gradient with little starfish at the bases.

  
Her dark eyes flitted towards the entrance as the door opened at the end of the hallway behind Zoro. He looked away as the figure approached the ticket stand, just in case it was someone he only kind of knew from school. He was never one for awkward small talk.

  
“I’m on the list for The Straw Hats,” a strangled voice sounded.

  
The woman at the podium shot a look at the drummer leaning against the wall, chiming, “Oi, Zoro, y’know this guy?”

  
Zoro cursed internally. This was exactly what he hadn’t wanted. This guy probably wasn’t even on the list. He was most likely trying to use his classmates’ band as a way to get into a concert for free. 

  
Having already set a scowl on his face to scare the kid into paying the cover charge, Zoro glared at the figure in front of the wooden stand.

  
Oh.

  
It was Law.

  
And he looked like _shit_.

  
The dark-haired teen was a trembling mess, his face alarmingly pale save for the massive black bruise he was sporting over his swollen left eye. Fingers gripped at the trunk of a skateboard with a ferocity that could only be described as a desperate attempt to ground himself with a material object, and his hair appeared flat and damp from the rain.

  
Which would have been normal, had it been raining.

  
No, he was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, giving him the overall impression of a very ill hospital patient.

  
“Yeah, Camie. He’s with us,” Zoro muttered, his steely gaze questioning Law as the latter nodded brusquely and stepped into the venue without so much as a word to one of the people he was apparently ‘ _with_ ’.

  
He was about to march after the brooding teen and give him a piece of his mind, when one of the washroom doors opened with a click.

There stood Jewelry Bonney in all her glory, dressed in the iconic pale pink baseball dress from _A League Of Their Own_. She wore knee-high red socks beneath her white lace up sneakers, and a matching red baseball cap upon her long pink tresses. She would have looked like she belonged in the movie, if it weren’t for the muddled green, brown, and grey makeup that covered every millimeter of visible skin. 

  
She grinned menacingly, her teeth shining in contrast to the dark body paint. “Roronoa Zoro. Nice costume,” She teased.

  
Zoro smirked, “Chill out, zombie. I’m about to change.”

  
She flipped her hair over her shoulder, musing, “Better make it fast. You guys are on in five, and I’m looking forward to your set tonight. The little spunky one says you have a surprise up your sleeve.”

  
They did?

  
Bonney must have seen the confusion that flashed across his face, as she laughed heartily, her uvula visible at the back of her throat, “Good to know his own bandmates can’t control him either. Our sound girl offered him a piece of our pizza because he was practically drooling, but we couldn’t stop him from eating the whole thing. Damn Rebecca is too nice for her own good.”

  
She turned on her heel, heading deeper into the venue and hollering, “I’M FUCKING STARVING!”

  
Zoro considered calling out to tell her to go see Vivi and she would buy her some food, but he also didn’t want to set his friend up for disappointment. He didn’t know Bonney enough to know if it would be worth the effort. Besides, the frontwoman was right – he had five minutes before he had to be on stage. 

  
Slipping into the free washroom, he quickly dressed in the same costume as his bandmates. He ignored the moans and heavy breathing accompanying what was obviously an intimate display of affection coming from the washroom on the other side of the terribly thin wall, tying the blue mask around his head and fastening the paper _“L”_ to his belt. Ensuring that the shell cover was properly placed over his backpack, he slung the bag around his shoulders and rushed out of the room, practically sprinting to the stage. 

  
Wait, when did the tables swap places with the stage?

  
“ZORO! Over here!” Luffy called, snickering into the microphone. 

  
The large crowd parted to make a path leading to the stage, many members of the audience hollering encouragement, laughter echoing around the hall.

  
Just great, he had to make the walk of shame in front of absolutely everybody. At least the standing area was dimly lit, as all lights were on the stage. 

  
Usopp seemed to think that then was a good time to swing the spotlight, next to the sound booth, from the stage to his deflated figure as he made his way through the crowd. Luffy and the stupid cook were howling. Even Nami was wiping tears away from her eyes, banging her fist on the merch table as she cackled. Robin simply shot him a composed, sympathetic smile.

  
Ugh, he had been set on murdering all of them after the show until he had seen her face. Then, her smile had wiped away any trace of embarrassment or anger, replacing it with a drive to drum the freaking house down. 

  
As he took his seat behind the drum kit, he wasted no time in counting the group in, eager to just get on with it, already.

  
Sanji began the twanging opening riff of Sum 41’s _Fat Lip_ , while Luffy shouted, “WE ARE THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! AND FOR THIS SONG, WE’RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP FROM MASTER SPLINTER!”

  
Zoro rapped on the snare drum as the rest of the band joined in, kicking and jumping and putting on one hell of a show. Usopp ran from the sound booth, leaping onto the stage in his brown robes, his long tail nearly knocking over Robin’s microphone stand. Thankfully, he had snatched it before it had fallen, as he conveniently needed that specific mic anyway. 

  
Luffy started the shouted conversation they were about to have, grinning, “ _Storming through the party like my name was El Niño!_ ”

  
“ _When I’m hanging out, drinking in the back of El Camino!_ ” Usopp cried back, wrenching the microphone from its stand and waving his hand along with the lyrics.

  
“ _As a kid, was a skid, and no one knew me by name,”_ Luffy bounced back, laughing as Usopp walked right up to him and shouted the next line right in his face.

  
“ _Trashed my own house party ‘cause nobody came!_ ” Usopp yelled, accenting every word with a weird gesture or pose.

  
The crowd was going wild, jumping up and down and jostling each other in a far more tame version of a mosh pit. Franky was shouting out praises for Usopp, and Brook, Chopper, and Vivi could not stop laughing. Usopp continued to play up his act, walking around in a semi squat and wagging his fingers like he was some sort of gangster, which was truly hilarious as the song was written by a handful of dudes from a suburban city in Ontario. 

  
During the bridge, he even managed to get the whole crowd with their hands in the air, swaying along to the brief melodic section of the song. It was truly unfortunate that Usopp had no desire to be a performing part of the band, as his on stage persona was beyond entertaining. 

  
By the time the song ended, the sound tech was drenched in sweat from his constant head banging throughout the last chorus. He had slammed his head so hard that the rat ears had flown into the crowd as his dark curls, free from an elastic band, bobbed along with the movement. A blonde girl who looked roughly their age screamed in delight when she had caught the Halloween accessory. 

  
What a way to start the show. 

  
After Usopp had retreated to the sound booth, they played a few more songs. Zoro’s mind was in two places for the entirety of the set.

  
Firstly, he couldn’t help but notice the way Robin had switched up her movements. Perhaps it was due to the range of motion the baggier khaki pants provided, or she simply felt like trying something new. Regardless, it was _working for her_. She stomped across the stage, demanding equal attention as the cook and Luffy. She kicked out her legs as she jumped into the air, and her hair was a brilliant mess of dark strands that glinted various colours in the spotlight, fanning out as she banged her head to Zoro’s rhythm. She was going hard, holding nothing back, and the grin on her face was one of pure joy. He had never seen her like this, but he wished he never had to look away. 

  
He made a mental note to ask her about it later. 

  
Secondly, a little nagging voice that sounded awfully similar to Nami’s, in the back of his head, kept reminding him about Luffy’s surprise that he had hinted about to Cherry Bomb. It couldn’t have been Usopp. They typically had him up on stage once every couple of shows. Bonney had seen that before. That wasn’t something new.

  
It wasn’t until the fifth song of the set that Luffy revealed his plan.

  
As Robin and Curly Brow took a swig from their respective water bottles, Luffy went to introduce the next song. 

  
“Okay, so I wanna try something,” Luffy chirped, as easy going as ever, “Torao, why don’t you come up here?”

  
Robin and Zoro exchanged a stunned glance. Sanji looked at the ground.

  
That had never been part of the deal. Law was not part of the band. He was simply supposed to write them a song.

  
It was as quiet as a concert hall could get, with hushed murmurs and whispers sounding sporadically as Usopp moved the spotlight to shine on the lanky teen standing of to the side of the crowd. He was dressed in a black shirt and black jeans with – you guessed it – black shoes. What was interesting, was that Luffy had somehow convinced him to wear the hockey mask he had brought for him, partnered with the golf bag that was hanging off his back, holding a baseball bat and a hockey stick. His tattooed hands were covered by cut-off biker gloves. 

  
Zoro had a sneaking suspicion that he had agreed to the costume for the sole purpose of hiding the black eye. 

  
Law shook his head, his expression unreadable beneath the mask.

  
“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Luffy insisted, getting impatient and bouncing from foot to foot, “ _Toraooo_.”

  
More muttering began to swell from the audience as Law crossed his arms across his chest and shook his head was more. A barely audible, “No,” was heard.

  
Luffy didn’t like this answer. “Torao! Torao! Torao!” He began to chant.

  
Slowly, the people surrounding the stage began to echo Luffy’s words, joining in on the cheer. A cold chill of dread crept up Zoro’s spine. He looked to Dartboard Brow – he looked as though he was going to throw up. Robin’s gaze was stone cold, as if she had disassociated from the situation the moment she had felt the second hand embarrassment. This was sloppy. This was unprofessional. This was humiliating.

  
What was Luffy _doing_?!

  
The chanting grew, the spotlight still fixed on the teen who was now visibly shaking. His fingers gripped at his biceps as he kept his arms crossed, and it looked as though he was squeezing his muscles a little too hard. His knuckles were white and his chest heaved with every inhale and exhale. 

  
In a flurry of movement, Law tore of the mask and chucked it at the stage. Luffy just barely jumped out of the way, the plastic accessory skimming the baggy fabric of his pants. Law’s eye that was not half closed due to swelling was wide and watery, frantically jumping around the room like he didn’t know where to look. His lip was bleeding from where he had broken the skin while gnawing nervously. His forehead shone with cold sweat, strands of his dark hair sticking to the clammy skin. 

  
There were gasps and cries of surprise. Judgmental murmuring rose from the back corner of the hall. Somewhere, a baby started crying in the sitting area of the venue. _Why_ there was a baby at a rock show, who knew, but of course it had chosen the perfect moment to start making a scene. 

  
All eyes were on Law as the tears started to spill. His throat coated in phlegm, he shouted thickly, _“I SAID NO!”_

  
Shouldering his way past the people in the crowd behind him, he pushed his way to the back of the venue. He turned the corner towards Camie and the ticket podium, and disappeared. Just like that, he was gone. 

  
And Luffy was left looking like a prize idiot.

  
“Oh, well, okay then,” Luffy shrugged, trying to come off unfazed, though Zoro could hear the tightness in his voice. With a deep sigh offset by a false smile, the frontman continued, “This song’s called _The Taste of Ink!_ ”

  
With a nod to his bandmates to keep going, Luffy readied himself at the microphone, waiting for Zoro to count him in.

  
And Zoro did just that. He would never disobey his Captain’s orders.

  
The rest of the set flew by without any hiccups, though things were definitely…weird when they began to haul their equipment off the stage. There were not any people at the merchandise table, despite Nami smiling sweetly at everyone who passed, and the round of applause at the end of their show had been slightly softer, accompanied by chatter that made Zoro’s stomach twist uneasily. Luffy’s stunt had not gone over well with the crowd, and he hoped that the reckless teen had learned his lesson. Trying to force someone to do something they didn’t want to do would leave a bad taste in anybody’s mouth. 

  
Cherry Bomb began to take the stage next, all clad in the same _A League of Their Own_ outfits and zombie makeup. They had even ripped some of their attire, and added fake blood stains. As usual, they excelled at matching their looks to their music, and Zoro wondered if that was something that The Straw Hats needed to work on. He hoped they didn’t need to put more effort into something like that. He was sure they looked uniform enough.

  
The Straw Hats made their way to the bar, leaning against the counter top as Robin ordered four shots. They were necessary after that embarrassing display. They clinked the shot glasses together before throwing the alcohol down their throats, which was an objectively funny display, as it wasn’t every day you saw the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles doing shots.

  
Luffy winced, sticking out his tongue in disgust, and the cook shook his head as if trying to get rid of a fly that had landed on his cheek.

The bassist looked as unfazed as he felt, and there was something about a lady that could handle her liquor that lit a fire in his chest. She caught him staring, and simply gazed back, a glint in her blue eyes that peered out through the purple mask.

  
She never ceased to amaze him. 

  
They stood in silence, awkward and uncomfortable, as they watched Cherry Bomb’s set from the bar. They were playing an original song titled _Charlotte’s Third Eye_. It was one of Curly Brow’s favourites. Bonney crouched down onto the balls of her feet and sang to the front row of the crowd. They could hear Vivi screaming from where they stood. 

  
As their turn on stage ended and the people around them began to lose themselves in conversation as the next band set up their equipment, Blondie took a long gulp of the beer he had ordered before speaking slowly, “Luffy. What the _actual fuck_ was that?”

  
Luffy blinked, “I thought it would be cool.”

  
The guitarist, drummer, and bassist looked at each other. How were they going to do this? What was the best way to approach this situation?

  
Robin was the one to step forward, which was probably for the best considering she was the most collected and well-spoken. “Luffy, it is very inappropriate to try to get someone to do something they don’t want to do,” Robin explained, her voice diplomatic and level, “We do not know Torao’s story. When he said no, it would have been best to drop it.”

  
Zoro nodded in agreement, “We looked like idiots, Luffy.”

  
Robin nudged him, communicating that she did not approve of his choice of words. “What Zoro means to say,” She corrected, “Was that we came off unprofessional and unprepared.”

  
“Oh,” Luffy frowned, “I just wanted Torao to have fun with us, like Usopp.” He tightened the orange fabric around his head.

  
This conversation would be a lot easier if they weren’t in goddamn Halloween costumes. 

  
“All we ask,” Robin glanced at every member of the group before continuing, “Is that we decide together if it’s a good idea _first_ , _then_ we ask Torao if he _wants_ to be involved. Okay, Captain?”

  
Luffy nodded, his brow furrowed as he considered her words. Zoro took the moment of silence to take a swig of his beverage, while Luffy typed away on his phone, the light from the screen illuminating the concern on his face. He placed his phone back in his pocket, before tugging it out mere seconds later, checking the screen, and returning it to his khakis. He repeated the movement a minute later.

He was on edge. 

  
It was then that they overheard something they really, _really_ shouldn’t have.

  
“What was with The Straw Hats’ dumb stunt earlier?” Scratchmen Apoo, the synth player for Victoria Punk asked snidely, hitting Basil Hawkins on the arm as if he was looking for confirmation that he had said something interesting. 

  
“Who knows. I was hoping we’d get to see that other kid play, though. Anyone is better than that blondie. He’s just a pretty face,” Eustass Kid barked, downing the rest of his beer and leaving a lipstick mark on the glass, “He’s all style, no substance.”

  
All five members of Victoria Punk erupted into laughter from the other side of the bar. Thanks to the positioning of the shelves, there was a very good chance that the other band was not aware that the subject of their conversation was in earshot. Though, unfortunately, they were, and as the jeers about the stupid cook reached their ears, they all reacted differently.

  
Robin gasped, holding her hand to her heart.

  
Zoro scowled, cracking his knuckles.

  
Luffy looked confused, quipping, “But style and being pretty are good things, aren’t they?”

  
And Curly Brow pulled a cigarette from his green khakis, exiting the building without another word. 

  
Zoro turned to walk around the bar, ready to punch the frontman of Victoria Punk in the face. How dare he say something like that about his bandmate? About his crew? No one spoke ill of his friends under his watch. Even the cook.

  
Robin placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head and nodding to Luffy.

  
The teen was back to texting anxiously. 

  
“Let’s load out now so we can catch half of CP9’s set?” Robin offered, and the subtext of giving Zoro a distraction was clear. 

  
Zoro nodded and tapped Luffy on the shoulder, the latter looking up at the gesture with curiosity in his eyes. The drummer explained that they were going to bring the equipment to the van, and asked Luffy to join their friends at the front of the stage so that there was at least one member of The Straw Hats present for the entirety of Cipher Pol 9’s set. Luffy understood and made his way to join Franky, Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Vivi. Zoro watched the younger teen check his phone two more times during the small trek to his group.

  
“Well,” Zoro exhaled as he loaded the last amp into the back of the van, sitting down on the step leading into the trunk of the caravan, “What a night.”

  
Robin emerged from inside the van, where she had been rearranging the gear to best fit around the seats. She slid onto the step next to him, humming, “Seems like there is change on the horizon.”

  
“No one likes change,” He grumbled.

  
She giggled softly, pausing before whispered, “Some changes can be good.”

  
“Like your moves on stage tonight?” He asked, remembering how wildly she had smiled while jumping around beneath the flashing lights.

  
The corners of her eyes tightened as she grinned, “I was inspired by Torao during our practices, and the way he comes alive when playing. He just seems so… lost in the music. So, I figured I’d change it up. Try to let go, you know?”

  
He couldn’t help the uncertainty that flared within him. “Glad Torao made such an impression,” He spoke evenly, careful not to betray any emotions.

  
Her eyes flashed as if she could see right through him, soothing, “I’m not interested in him, Zoro.”

  
She placed her slender hand on his thigh.

  
Zoro turned his head to face her. She was looking out into the ravine that the parking lot backed onto. The spindly trees had lost most of their leaves in the frigid late October air, and a cold wind was threatening to snap their trunks in half. A barbed wire fence blocked up the next lot, ruining any potential of romantic scenery that the ravine could have provided. The moon was partially obscured by ugly grey clouds, and there was the faint smell of smoke in the air from a nearby factory. Not to mention, for the umpteenth time, that they were currently dressed as Donatello and Leonardo of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

  
Now was not the time to kiss her.

  
She slowly let her eyes, the colour of the sky on a warm summer day, meet his. A faint pink dusted the bridge of her nose, spreading across her high cheekbones. 

  
His face was getting closer to hers. “What other changes are good?” He breathed. He hoped his breath smelled okay.

  
She spoke softly, “The way the leaves change colour with the seasons and paint our world with reds and golds. Or, the way an underground volcano erupts and creates a brand new landmass to harbour life. Some change is natural, expected… Desired…”   
Her face was so close. Her scent wafted around him, enveloping him in soft vanilla, spicy clove, and a hint of alcohol. She shivered in the brisk night air.

  
Now was not the time. She deserved better than the band van in a parking lot by a factory dressed as fictional characters.

  
“You’re cold,” He stated, pulling back and placing more distance between them.

  
She looked him up and down before removing her hand from his leg with an amused, and thoroughly understanding smirk. 

  
“Shall we?” She chimed in her beautiful alto as she stood from the back of the van. She nodded towards the venue, shoving her hands in her khakis. 

  
Zoro followed her lead, locking up the vehicle and making their way back to the show. 

  
As they watched Cipher Pol 9’s set, full of catchy guitar riffs and strong female vocals layered with three part harmonies, Zoro found himself enjoying the band a greater amount than usual. Their indie sound seemed more accessible today, less shrouded in arrogance and time signatures that he didn’t quite see the purpose of. Perhaps it was because the members of the band were dressed as the Powerpuff Girls. The drummer and lead vocalist had her blonde hair tied into pigtails, the long locks just touching the shoulders of her baby blue dress with the black band in the middle. The bassist, a lanky man with a nose to rival Usopp’s, wore black sneakers with white socks hiked up to his calves, pink shorts with a black belt, and a shirt of the same colour. The outfit was completed by a large red bow atop his copper locks. Lastly, the intimidating guitarist with the long wavy dark hair was dressed in a near identical outfit, but in green instead of pink. 

  
As his best friend was at his side, Zoro noticed that Luffy was practically glued to his phone for the entirety of the other band’s set, though he was no longer typing. He simply kept illuminating his screen to see if he got a notification. He seemed wildly distracted, and he was frowning far more than usual.

  
Zoro unlocked his own phone when the other teen wasn’t looking, firing off a quick message.

  * 11:35pm – **zoro**  
_You okay? Luffy’s worried._



  
His cell buzzed before he could even slide it back into his pocket.

  * 11:36pm – **torao**  
_Just leave me alone._



  
Zoro sighed. He wasn’t sure what to do next. The obvious answer was to just let it be, but he hated the idea of his best friend fretting about some sulky bastard. The worst part was that he _understood_ Law’s anger. Luffy’s actions had been totally uncalled for. He couldn’t blame the teen for wanting to be left alone.

  
So, what happened next?

  
Eager to clear his mind of the drama, Zoro focused on CP9’s final song. It was an upbeat dance anthem with a groovy bassline and a catchy hook. The vocals were just as captivating as the guitar part, and Zoro found himself disappointed that there wasn’t more to the song when it ended after 5 whole minutes. It was impressive that they could hold his attention with one song for that long, and Zoro was shocked by how much he had enjoyed their set after he had bashed them in the cafeteria.

  
Though, he stood by his last statement. 

  
It was hard for them to seem as pretentious when disguised in costume.

  
At least, until Rob Lucci decided to close their set by going on a tangent about the importance of Kalifa’s voice as the leader of an upcoming feminist movement, all the while not allowing her to get a word in edgewise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Should he have kissed her?  
> And why was Law so against playing, huh?
> 
> Regarding the texting, you may notice that some names change. That is based on who is texting at the time. For example, Law's contact info would be under Torao in Zoro's phone, but if Law is texting from HIS phone, then his name would be Law. The group chat is the only place where their titles remain consistent, as they would have had to set a display name.
> 
> As always, feedback is much appreciated.  
> Hope you're all enjoying the story :)
> 
> Next chapter: Halloween dance!  
> See you next Sunday!


	6. Good Day at the Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew gets ready for the school dance at Vivi's, Nami and Usopp place a bet, and Sanji struggles with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what? Screw it, have two today.
> 
> Title is by Hollerado, particularly for Sanji's POV.
> 
> You may notice that the tags have been updated... :)

Nami stared up at the massive house that bordered the line between upper class abode and mini-mansion. The stunning pale grey bricks glinted as if they were made of diamonds in the late afternoon sun, their elegance dwarfed only by the reflection of light off the arched windows that lined the structure. Through the spotless glass, she could see snippets of an interior that resembled a page of a fancy furniture catalogue, framed by flowing chiffon curtains of a delicate ivory, and one particular pane displayed a grand piano.

  
Nami loved visiting Vivi. The setting tended to prod at old fantasies of discovering a royal lineage and being swept away into a life of luxury. She decided there was no shame in that. Who didn’t want to be a princess at one point in their lives? 

  
Walking up the path that swerved through freshly trimmed topiary and seasonal autumn flora, she paused to spin on the tip of her toes in front of a particularly pretty birch tree decorated in twinkling fairy lights. She idly imagined herself at a garden party, clad in a golden gown that hugged her curves in all the right ways, one of the straps falling off her shoulder as she danced between the lanterns. 

  
Stepping gracefully towards the mahogany door fashioned with a stain-glass panel, Nami rang the doorbell and waited on the porch that wrapped around the exterior of the house.

  
“Hey, girl, hey!” Vivi hollered as she tore open the door, palpable excitement radiating off the blue-haired girl in waves, “You’re the first to arrive.”

  
Nami nodded, unsurprised, “I figured I’d get here a little early for some girl time, y’know?”

  
Entering the bright foyer of robin’s egg blue walls and white photo frames, Nami slid off the black boots that would accompany the costume she was about to change into, and followed her best friend into the kitchen. Waving to Vivi’s father, who was preparing what looked to be a charcuterie board atop a large marble kitchen island, she chimed, “Good evening, Mr. Nefertari!”

  
The tall man looked up from the cured meat he was rolling into little flowers, smiling warmly, “Why Nami! It’s so good to see you! Vivi told me her friends were coming over to get ready for the Halloween dance, so I figured I would whip up a snack for you all.”

  
Vivi shot a look over her shoulder at her father’s creation as she opened the fridge and tugged out a bottle of sparkling wine. “Hate to break it to you, dad, but Luffy’s coming,” She giggled as she pulled the cork out of the bottle with a startling _pop_!

  
The man sighed, tugging at his pointed goatee in contemplation, “Ah. I suppose I’ll open three supersized bags of chips. Do you think that will be enough to hold him over?”

  
“Don’t worry, Mr. Nefertari, I’ll keep him away from the kitchen,” Nami promised, accepting the flute of bubbling liquid from her friend.  
With Vivi explaining that they would be in her room if he needed anything, the two made their way through the lavish dining room, lounge, and living room, climbing the spiral staircase to the second floor of the large house. The house was painted in various shades of blue, which created a sense of continuity from room to room. The theme of the décor was changed depending on the purpose of the particular setting, with Nami’s personal favourite being the shell spotted beach oasis that the bathroom contained. 

  
Vivi’s bedroom was straight out of a teen movie. Roughly the size of a bachelor apartment, the room contained a king sized bed, a sitting area with a flat screen TV, a massive walk in closet with multiple full sized mirrors, an antique marble vanity next to a couch built into the giant bay window, and a shallow freshwater aquarium enclosed in a glass half-wall that functioned as an easily accessible pond and pen for her pet duck, Karoo. The entire space was decorated in shades of white, gold, and teal, creating a vibrant environment fitting for the ambitious teen who wished to become as successful in international relations as her father. 

  
Setting her flute of bubbling wine on the vanity, Vivi made her way over to Karoo’s pen, where the handsome duck sat on a flat stone above the miniature waterfall that trickled into the artificial pond. She opened the gate that blended in with the glass fence, and covered Karoo’s nest made of hay and grass in two quick strides, scooping the water fowl up in her arms and placing him on the tiled floor outside of his pen. He quacked in excitement, blabbering away as he waddled about the room.

  
Nami got right to work, entering the closet of her dreams and tugging out the various costumes for their friends. As they had not trusted the boys to get their own costumes, she had ordered all of the costumes online and had them shipped directly to Vivi’s. It was the easiest way to avoid disappointment when Zoro showed up with an average hammer and Luffy in a cardboard contraption. She just knew it would happen. 

  
Deciding to get ready first, as she would probably have to help the boys later, she undressed and slid into the tight black body suit that she had ordered for herself. She absently considered that this was the second body suit she had worn in a week for the purpose of Halloween, and grumbled under her breath about the lack of pockets before realizing that she could use the gun holster for her cellphone. It wasn’t like the school would allow her to bring a toy in the shape of a gun to the dance, anyway. Tucking her cellphone into one holster and her lipstick into the other, she ran her fingers through her fiery orange hair and admired herself in the mirror.

Thanks to her natural hair colour, her choice to be Black Widow had turned out to be an extremely effortless costume. 

  
Stepping out of the walk-in, she was met with Vivi clapping her hands in delight, Karoo squawking along happily. Her turn to change, the blue-haired girl slid past Nami and closed the door to the closet behind her, just as the doorbell rang. Not wanting to inconvenience Mr. Nefertari, she scurried down the stairs and headed for the front door, flute of sparkling wine in hand. She knew the layout of the house well, as she tried to spend as much time in the mini mansion as possible. 

  
“AH MY BEAUTIFUL NAMI! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY RAVISHING!”

  
She winced as Sanji’s shout assaulted her ears, his eyes shining with hearts as he clutched his hands to his chest.

  
Ah, yes. The idiots had arrived.

  
Sure enough, they had put minimal effort into their costumes. Usopp had a toy bow and arrow slung across his back, but other than that, had not made any changes to the outfit he had worn at school. Zoro had not even bothered to try and dress up at all. Sanji simply wore all blue with a paper cut out of the Captain America logo taped to his chest. Chopper had done okay, clad in a stretchy green body suit with purple shorts, but Nami knew she could do better. 

  
Worst of all was Luffy, who was dressed head to toe in a cheap Tin Man costume from the _Wizard of Oz_. It seemed he had misunderstood his assignment as Iron Man, though she had to admit that she was impressed he had bought a costume at all.

  
Ushering the group through the house and up the stairs to Vivi’s room, she thanked Mr. Nefertari as they passed in the second floor hallway, him having just brought the snacks up to his daughter. She did not miss how strained his voice sounded as he greeted the boys, Luffy in particular. 

  
“Karoo!” Chopper and Usopp cried, instantly rushing towards the little duck who flapped his wings in greeting. He was an awfully smart bird. 

  
Zoro sat himself down on the couch in front of the TV, grabbing the remote and flicking through channels while Luffy flopped at his feet, shoveling chips and meats and cheese into his mouth. It was shocking that the live animal in the room had better manners than the teen.

  
“Eh? Oh, you’re all here,” Vivi emerged from the closet in which she had been changing, prompting Sanji to collapse to his knees as he gasped at her appearance.

  
She was in a perfect Scarlet Witch costume, with a dark red corset and black tights with matching boots beneath a long faux leather red trench coat. She wore a ginger wig over top her blue locks that suited her skin tone so well, it appeared natural, and a peculiar bright crown atop her forehead that framed her face, as seen in the comics. 

  
“Forget to dye your hair today?” Zoro deadpanned.

  
Vivi rolled her eyes before gesturing for him to get up from the couch, “Make fun of me and you get to go first. C’mon! Into the closet with you!” She ushered the green-haired teen into the walk-in, explaining which costume belonged to him. 

  
Luffy looked up from the snacks, “I wanna go in the closet with Zoro too!” His dark eyes glimmered with curiosity, and he pulled himself up from the floor to scurry over to the walk-in, squeezing through the crack in the door as Zoro closed it. 

  
There were muffled noises as the teens argued about which costume was theirs, accompanied by a thud and multiple banging noises.   
Nami and Vivi shook their heads with an exasperated sigh. 

  
“Chopper, why don’t we start on your makeup?” Vivi offered, the younger teen leaping to his feet and nodding eagerly. They relocated themselves to the bench on the window, and Vivi opened a tub of green body paint. Chopper held out his arms as Vivi ran a brush over his skin.

  
Nami sat down on the floor between Usopp and Sanji, who were watching Karoo waddle around the room with delight shining in their eyes. She didn’t blame him. He was so damn cute. 

  
“Well boys, now’s your last chance to get in on any of the bets for tonight!” She grinned mischievously, winking at Usopp, as he was more likely to participate than the blond. 

  
She thought she saw his long nose flush red as he hesitated, “Can you read me the odds again?”

  
Grabbing her cellphone out of her pistol holster, she pulled the list up on his display and read aloud:  
“Okay, we have…  
The Monster Mash plays more than once at 5-to-2 odds,  
Law shows up to the dance at 7:4,  
Mr. Sohl dances alone to Thriller at 2:1,  
And, last but not least, a rogue Jack-O-Lanturn sets the cafeteria on fire at 10:1”

Usopp considered his options for a moment, muttering about probability under his breath before he said her name sweetly, in a tone that screamed an ulterior motive, “Nami, what should I bet on?”

  
“Why would I tell you insider info?” She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the long-nosed man.

  
He batted his long, dark eyelashes that curled naturally over his chocolate eyes, peering up at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world. “Because I, the Great Confidant Usopp, will keep your secrets safe,” He pleaded, “Please Nami?”

  
She wasn’t sure why her stomach twisted as he stared at her, but she was grateful that she didn’t have to think about it for very long, as Zoro and Luffy tumbled out of the closet, with the latter shouting, “Bet on the pumpkin!”

  
Usopp’s brow furrowed in confusion before evolving into an expression of understanding. He grinned wickedly as he turned to Nami, “I’ll put $10 on the rogue Jack-O-Lantern.”

  
Sanji called, “Make it $20 and I’ll pay you back my share with the winnings,” as he stepped into the closet to change into his costume.

  
“NO ONE IS SETTING THE CAFETERIA ON FIRE! GOT IT?” Nami screeched, marching up to a snickering Luffy and bopping him on the head. He was up to no good. She just knew it. 

  
Luffy was dressed neck to toe in a red and gold Iron Man unitard, clinging closely to his lithe and wiry frame. He had been extremely vocal about not wanting to wear the mask, and Nami had long since given up, allowing him to simply wear his yellow baseball cap as always. People would still know that he was dressed as Tony Stark, albeit an obscenely casual version. 

  
“Don’t know what you’re talking about Nami,” Zoro shrugged, and she stepped away from Luffy to glare at the green-haired teen, clad in thin black armor and a flowing red cape, a plastic hammer that resembled Thor’s famous weapon clutched in his hand, “No _person_ is setting the cafeteria on fire.”

  
Usopp snickered at something past her shoulder as he passed her the $20 bill, and she turned back to Luffy to see him miming as if he was kicking a ball.

  
“Vivi! Are you seeing this right now?!” Nami yelped, seeking backup from her best friend.

  
Turning Chopper’s head to the side to paint the other side of his face, Vivi simply mused, “No _person_ or _pumpkin_ is setting the cafeteria on fire, Nami.”

  
Of course, Sanji chose that moment to burst back into the room dressed in his Captain America get up, plastic shield waving along with his arm as he rushed to her side, shouting, “I’ll protect you from the fire, darling Nami!”

  
She felt as though she was the only sane person in the room. She quickly refilled her flute with the bottle of sparkling wine, downing the liquid in one sip.

  
When Usopp had donned his Hawkeye outfit, with a bow and an, unfortunately empty, sleeve for arrows slung around his back, and Chopper was properly done up with body paint and padding to properly resemble The Hulk, they snapped a couple of group photos. Luffy’s mouth was full of chips in every shot, crumbs dotting the lower half of his face. 

  
“Vivi, it’s 6:30. We should be going,” Nami mused, checking the time on her phone. The student council was required to arrive an hour early to help set up the cafeteria for the dance, which meant that they had to split into two separate cars.

  
“That’s not a problem,” Usopp chimed, “I can drive you over, as long as you don’t mind an extra hand from an expert at festive decorating.”

  
“Oh, Chopper’s coming too?” Nami blinked, gesturing to the 10th grader.

  
Usopp did not seem to find her joke as funny as she did. 

  
However, the younger teen had already expressed in interest in joining the school council the next semester, and Nami had offered to introduce him to the other members as they decorated the space. Chopper nodded eagerly at her words, giggling at Usopp’s deflated expression.

  
Notifying Mr. Nefertari that Luffy’s brother, Ace, would be by in an hour to pick up the three hooligans they were leaving behind, the four teens climbed into Usopp’s Civic and began the twenty minute drive to the school. Having called shotgun, and therefore control of the music, Nami connected her phone to the Bluetooth speaker in the dashboard. Her thumb browsing through her music library, she selected Kelly Clarkson’s _Since U Been Gone_ to get the party started. She knew it was Usopp’s guilty pleasure.

  
As Vivi and Chopper began to sing along at the top of their lungs, Usopp’s hands tightened on the wheel. He shot Nami a look as they pulled up to a red light, turning his head ever so slightly away from the road. “Not cool, Nami,” He was trying to frown, but there was a smile playing on his lips.

  
She elbowed him gently in the upper arm, giggling, “You know you love me. Now, let it out your anger in the chorus.”

  
The light turned green and Usopp slammed his foot on the gas pedal, screeching, “ _SINCE YOU BEEN GONE, I CAN BREATHE FOR THE FIRST TIME!”_

  
The car rocketed down the lane as the teen banged his head to the music, curls flying everywhere. Nami cheered. Vivi laughed. Chopper hollered encouragement. They all joined in on the next line, singing very out of tune and at the top of their lungs, thankful that none of their vocally inclined friends were there to judge them.

  
Usopp pulled off to the side of the road as the song came to an end, gesturing to Nami’s phone. “C’mon, it’s my turn,” He grinned, holding out his hand expectantly. 

  
Nami hesitated, but she knew it was only fair. She had played dirty with the last song. Fully expecting the song that was about to come on next, she passed her phone to her friend and let him select the next track.

  
Sure enough, the twanging guitar the signaled the beginning of Miley Cyrus’s _Party In The USA_ rang through the speakers. The two in the backseat were content with this choice, if their singing was any indication. 

  
“Yeah, yeah,” She huffed, glaring playfully at their driver, “You know me so well.”

  
Usopp gasped in mock offense, “Nami! I would argue I know you _best_.”

  
She raised an eyebrow, “You wanna bet?”

  
There was something that sparked in his dark eyes as he considered her words. His gaze was fixed on the road he was driving down as he nodded slowly, speaking with false confidence, “You know what? You’re on.”

  
“If you can convince me that you know me better than Vivi by the end of the night, I’ll owe you,” She elaborated.

  
Usopp snorted, then proceeded to fake a cough, “You’ll owe me what? Excuse me, my fear-of-empty-prizes disease is acting up.”  
She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting, “Well, what do you want?”

  
He pulled into the lot just off school grounds, putting the car into park and shutting off the engine. As Vivi and Chopper climbed out of the car, Usopp simply turned his whole body to face her. “Let me think about it?” He asked, “I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.”

  
“You?” Nami barked, undoing her seatbelt and opening her door, “I expect more from the Master of Quick Thinking.”

  
She could have sworn he seemed the tiniest bit embarrassed as he exited the car, the slightest hint of red crawling up the shells of his ears.

  
***

  
“Hey, Zoro! Sanji! Long time, no see!” A deep, and ever so friendly voice called out from the driveway in front of Vivi’s giant house. 

  
“ACE!” Luffy cried, and Sanji heard the slapping of his red converse against the stone path as the teen ran over to his brother. It always surprised Sanji just how much love Luffy had to give to those around him. He lived with Ace, saw him every day, and yet, he was so _excited_ whenever he laid eyes on the man.

  
Thanking Mr. Nefertari once again for the incredible hospitality he had bestowed upon them, Sanji slung the bag with his normal clothes over his shoulder and turned to see the shitty drummer making his way down the path, to where Luffy had his arms wrapped around a tan young adult with shaggy black hair that was a little longer than his brother’s. They stood in front of a burnt orange jeep that had no roof, despite it being late autumn.

  
It had been a while since Ace had made it out to a show, or since they had hung out at Luffy’s, and the blond couldn’t help but notice the amount of muscle the previously skinny man had gained since starting his Fire Sciences program at Red Line College. Freckled biceps and broad shoulders pulled a plain white t-shirt tight against a toned torso, and the muscles in the man’s calves bulged beneath the hem of his denim shorts that just so happened to match the paint job on his vehicle. 

  
Sanji’s mouth was dry. He decided he was only staring because the man must be insane to wear shorts on October 31st. Maybe his natural body temperature ran warmer than average. 

  
Zoro reached the jeep, waving casually to Ace as he jumped into the backseat, Luffy following the moss-head’s actions and joining him in the back. As there was no door to the bench behind the passenger seat, it made sense to fill the backseat first, so two people didn’t have to climb over whoever was sitting in the front. 

  
With one final goodbye to their gracious host, Sanji jogged down the path to greet his friend’s brother. 

  
Ace held out a hand and, all rational thought seemingly disappearing from Sanji’s brain, he grabbed it, before leaning in and pushing his shoulder against Ace’s, patting him on the back with his free hand in what was most certainly a lame and awkward “ _bro hug_ ”. 

  
What the hell was that?

  
He pulled away from the older man, fully aware, yet not sure why his pale features were flushed a bright red. Ace probably thought he was a colossal dumbass. The _marimo_ was never going to let him hear the end of this. Nobody greeted people like that anymore.

  
Thankfully, a wide grin of perfectly straight teeth and a hearty laugh met his nervous gaze, and Ace reached out a strong hand to pat him reassuringly on the shoulder, “It’s good to see ya, Sanji! How’ve you been?”

  
Trying to regain his composure, Sanji took a deep breath masked as a thoughtful sigh, responding, “I’ve been well, thank you.” He lifted the arm to which his shield was attached, adding, “Y’know, just saving the world from threats – alien or otherwise.”

  
Luffy chose that moment to cry, “ACE! We gotta get there before all the food is gone!” He had hooked his chin over the shoulder of the passenger seat in front of him, his cheeks puffed out in a childish pout.

  
Ace chuckled good-naturedly, his freckled skin crinkling around the corners of his eyes, before turning to the jeep, climbing into the driver’s seat. Sanji followed, feeling entirely too warm in the cold late autumn air. 

  
As they sped down the road towards the school, Ace leaned forward to crank the radio over the howling winds that pushed his passengers against their seats. Sanji’s previous speculation on the older man’s sanity, or lack thereof, was confirmed, as it was simply illogical to keep the detachable roof off of a jeep at this time of the year.

  
The funky guitars, grooving bass, and steady drums of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ _Give it Away_ surged from the speakers, prompting Luffy to bounce in his seat as he sang the chorus in a disgruntled moss-head’s face. Sanji absently bobbed his head to the infectious beat, before realizing that he had never reciprocated the question of wellbeing to the man next to him.

  
Not wanting to seem rude, Sanji spoke over the music, “How have you been, Ace? Enjoying the new program?”

  
His friend’s brother shot him another sunny smile as he answered, “I’ve been great! I like to think I am also saving the world, though very specifically from heat related threats.”

  
“Aliens can starts fires too, you know,” The blond spewed, completely unsure where the words had come from. What was he babbling on about now?

  
Ace seemed to think his comment was funny, at least, and laughed before asking, “You still working for your old man?”

  
There was an irritated shout as Luffy pumped his fist up in the air with the final chorus, though apparently at the same time that Zoro had repositioned himself, leaning to the side and causing the former to punch the latter right in the jaw. Sanji ignored the interruption. This was nothing out of the ordinary for the two apes he spent time with.

  
“I like to think I work with Zeff, but he thinks otherwise,” He responded with a cheeky grin. 

  
“I’ve gotta swing by one of these days. Try the food Luffy is always raving about,” Ace mused, nodding along to the music. He had one hand on the steering wheel, and the other rested on his thigh, his fingers drumming the beat of the song. Black strands of hair flew back from his face, and his eyes squinted slightly due to the wind that whooshed past them. Despite the cold chill of the vehicle, the man seemed completely at ease in his t-shirt and shorts, completely natural, as if he belonged behind the wheel of a jeep, speeding down the backroads away from the setting sun basking him in a golden glow. 

  
“You should,” Sanji agreed, “I’ll fix you up something real good.”

  
“Sanji makes the best food around!” Luffy piped up, forever Sanji’s cheerleader. 

  
“Well then,” Ace turned the radio down as he pulled over in front of the school, “I suppose I’ll see you sooner, rather than later.” 

  
Sanji clambered out of the jeep, the boots of his costume hitting the pavement in front of the building much harder than expected.

Luffy and Zoro jumped out after him with practiced grace. He guessed it really had been a long time since he had gotten a ride with the older man, as he typically went with Usopp, and the other two seemed far more practiced with riding in the jeep.

  
He turned back to their driver, shooting him a genuine smile, “Thanks for the lift, Ace.”

  
The smile was mirrored with a grin that warmed his insides, “Don’t mention it, Sanji.”

  
He wasn’t sure why, but he waited for the jeep to drive out of his line of vision before jogging to catch up to Luffy and the idiot drummer.   
The noise from the cafeteria was overwhelming before they even entered the building. The thump of heavy bass pulsed through the linoleum floor, accompanied by a layer of chatter that swelled with every step closer to the double doors leading to the dance. Nami, Vivi, Usopp, and Chopper were waiting for them in the hallway, next to the ticket table, which Sanji couldn’t help but noticed had a lit Jack-O-Lantern sitting on top.

  
“Where’s Brook?” The teen dressed as Iron Man in a baseball cap chirped as he bounded up to the rest of his squad.

  
“Where’s the punch?” Zoro grumbled, already pulling one of many flasks out of his costume.

  
“How’s the food going over? Did you arrange it according to the note I left on top of the containers in the fridge?” Sanji fretted, scanning the sliver of the dance he could make out through the entryway for the table with his goodies. 

  
Answering in quick succession, responses were thrown out. Brook was on the dancefloor, and therefore doing a terrible job as a chaperone. The punch was in IV bags, which were fashioned out of empty wine bags with spouts for pouring the juice into cups, which was not ideal for Zoro’s quest, though meant there was more alcohol for just himself if he couldn’t share, which really wasn’t an issue. The food was displayed perfectly next to the beverage, all instructions followed to a tee. However, the moment Nami mentioned that the food was going fast, Luffy rocketed into the dimly lit cafeteria, dragging Zoro along with him. 

  
As Sanji prepared to enter the source of the thumping music, Nami stopped him.

  
“Wait a moment, Sanji! I want to ask you something,” She stated, a curious look in her doe eyes.

  
He felt the familiar wave of adoration surge through him as he spun on his toes and cooed, “Anything for you, my dear Nami!”

  
She placed her hands on her hips, jutting her hip to the side and bearing a striking resemblance to the powerful heroine she was dressed as. Sanji had to admit, without a doubt, that she looked positively _terrifying_ , in the best way possible. She narrowed her eyes as if thinking through her words as she inquired, “What is my favourite season?”

  
Sanji blinked, “Summer, right my darling?”

  
“Correct!” Nami shot him a dazzling grin as she turned to stick her tongue out at Usopp.

  
He seemed entirely unfazed. In fact, he seemed smug, even, which was an expression that rarely grazed the young man’s face. Vivi and Chopper were giggling with amusement as they watched the exchange, falling silent when Usopp crossed his arms across his chest and cleared his throat.

  
“You’re not wrong, Sanji,” Usopp started, dark eyes watching Nami carefully, “However, I would argue that Nami’s favourite season is specifically the beginning of summer. Late June. When the scent of spring flowers still hangs in the air, there’s always a warm breeze, and there’s no humidity to cover her in an uncomfortable layer of sweat. Not to mention that the beginning of summer sparks a frozen yogurt frenzy in the majority of the public, meaning more shifts at FroYo-Yo, and more money for Nami.”

  
Vivi’s jaw hung open. Chopper murmured a small, “Whoa.” Sanji himself couldn’t help but stare at Usopp in surprise. 

  
Nami, on the other hand, balled her hands into fists at her sides and scoffed, “Oh, fuck off.” She stomped back into the dance without another word.

  
Sanji shot the other three a questioning glance, to which Chopper responded, “Usopp bet Nami that he knows her better than anyone.”  
He nodded, looking to Usopp with a grin, “Well, if you answer every question with that much detail, you may just win.”

  
“The Great Roladex of Memories, Usopp, has this in the bag,” The teen dressed as Hawkeye quipped. Sanji couldn’t remember the last time he had seen the boy look this confident.

  
They made their way into the dark cafeteria, illuminated sporadically by flashing lights of various colours. Festive streamers and fake cobwebs decorated the ugly painted brick walls, and a row of lunch tables was pushed together along the far side of the room and covered with Sanji’s homemade cookies and sandwiches. Luffy was in the midst of wolfing down a sandwich, with two others in his hands as he tried to force his lips to hold more bread and filling than his mouth was capable of. A particularly pretty girl in a cat costume shot the teen a look of disgust as she daintily took a cookie from the platter. 

  
The rest of the lunch tables had been removed, making plenty of room in front of a DJ booth for a dancefloor. Students were already at it, moving their bodies in throngs along with the repetitive beat. Hips swayed and fists pumped, laughter burst forth from open lips and drowned in the midst of the booming speakers arranged strategically around the room. The only areas free from the deafening noise were the hallways just outside the doors, and the corner the furthest away from the DJ stand, where Trafalgar Law leaned against the wall with Penguin and Shachi. The latter was clad in a yellow tube, with a strange hat that resembled the top of a squeeze bottle. Then, as Sanji realized that Penguin wore a similar costume in red, he understood that they were dressed as Mustard and Ketchup. 

  
Law, on the other hand, wore no costume, save for a half-assed attempt at zombie makeup that covered his face. Sanji wasn’t quite sold that the dried red substance caked over his lip was fake blood. At least, he understood that the other teen was using the makeup to help conceal the bruise around his eye, as it was fading rather slowly. It had not escaped Sanji that he had been wearing his hair differently the past few days, with the strands pulled as far over his golden gaze as possible. He wasn’t sure if Law had even lifted his head to look at anyone all Pop Choir yesterday. 

  
He had been next to Luffy when the other guitarist had arrived at the show last Saturday, had been standing right there as Law had insisted the bruise was none of their business, that he was fine, before agreeing to wear the Casey Jones masked Robin offered him.   
He had also been outside the venue, smoking a cigarette and trying to let Eustass Kid’s words roll off his back, when he had watched Law sitting alone on a bench across from the venue, yellow light from a streetlamp illuminating his tattoos as he ran his fingers through his hair. He had watched as the boy tugged at the locks, chest heaving with every breath, body shaking as tears dotted the sidewalk beneath him.

  
A white car had pulled up, and vague shouting had been heard from the interior as Law had pulled himself into the passenger seat. The vehicle had pulled away, the tires skidding as they spun into action.

  
Law had not spoken to any of The Straw Hats or their friends since the Halloween show. He had ignored every text Luffy had sent him, and had only nodded curtly in Sanji’s direction from behind the piano in the music room during Pop Choir rehearsal. 

  
Sanji was the slightest bit concerned about Law, despite the underlying animosity that sparked and charged between them, the current of jealousy that he was reluctant to admit kept him up at night. There was a demon in his head that told him that Luffy thought Law was better than him, that Luffy was going to replace him with the brooding teen, and Sanji hated that he felt that way at all. 

  
He knew Luffy. He knew how Luffy thought. Luffy simply wanted Law’s help writing a song since they had come up with diddly squat every time they had tried to write anything. Luffy was always in the mindset of _the more the merrier_ , and Sanji had been reminding himself of that more often lately. 

  
Still, repeating the facts over and over did little to unravel the tangle of worries that sat in the pit of his stomach.

  
Sanji sighed as his blue gaze washed over the throngs of students on the dancefloor. He caught sight of the looming figure of his music teacher jiving along to the beat, right in front of the DJ booth. There was a fair amount of space between the rest of the students and Brook, like a dancefloor within a dancefloor. It was painfully obvious that nobody wanted to party with the elderly man.

  
That was, until Luffy had scooted into the fray, bursting with excitement and definitely not realizing that is was socially weird to want to boogie with your teacher. Though, Luffy had never been one to follow the norm, and people liked him regardless. If he saw you as a friend, he wanted to spend time with you no matter what, and that was just the way he was. 

  
Jumping along to the beat as if it was a rock song and not a smooth R&B track, Luffy cackled as he began to make up a new dance with Brook. They looked like two fumbling idiots among the crowd of swaying teenagers. 

  
He flinched as a voice spoke up next to him, “Shall we show them how it’s done?” 

  
It was Conis, a student in Luffy’s grade. She was considered to be awfully pretty, with fair blonde hair braided on either side of her rather symmetrical face. She was dressed as an angel, with a halo suspended on a headband, and feathered wings stitched to the back of her flowing white tunic. Sanji felt that the costume suited her. He had always looked forward to hearing her angelic voice whenever he saw her at Pop Choir rehearsals. 

  
He hesitated. He had been to many school dances, and though all of his friends had witnessed him fawning over all the young women who had gotten themselves dolled up for the occasion, he had always managed to slip out of every opportunity to dance. It wasn’t as if he was nervous about the actual dancing, no. In fact, he knew he could _move_ , and had no problem busting out his moves on the dancefloor in a solo display of skill. 

  
It was more like there was this small part of him that felt wildly uncomfortable with being in such close proximity to the female form.

  
His mother had worked at The Baratie with his old man as a Front of House Manager. She had poured her heart and soul into the restaurant, into their labour of love, and when she fell ill, Sanji felt as though his father blamed himself for letting her work too hard. Zeff had a tendency to put women on a pedestal, to idolize and coddle them. He had truly believed that if she had not needed to work, she would still be with them today. Though his intentions were kind, Sanji understood that it was a rather old fashioned way of thinking, and frequently reminded him that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent her illness. 

  
No, he did not necessarily agree with his father at all times, but certain mannerisms had definitely been picked up over the years. 

  
Women were beautiful, graceful, elegant. They were so full of love and soft enough to express the emotions they bore at all times. Women were brave, courageous, and fought constantly for equality against the lesser, in Sanji’s opinion, gender. They were works of art, and Sanji wished for his constant praise to make up for the world that did not appreciate them as it should. 

  
Though, whenever he had ever been asked to dance, or asked on a date, for that matter, he had declined. He told himself that he was not worthy to touch such perfection, to revel in the company of a woman who was interested in him as more than a friend. He told himself that the female form was to be admired, to be appreciated, but that touching it would feel wrong. 

  
Typically, a nagging voice in the back of his head would cry that he was making excuses. Truthfully, he wasn’t ready to unpack the meaning behind those words.

  
Conis’s smile was sweet and kind, full of nervous anticipation. He considered that he would have to kick this strange aversion towards dancing with intention eventually, and perhaps she was the perfect person to help. 

  
Not wanting to keep a lovely lady waiting, Sanji offered her his hand, leading her onto the dancefloor. They fell among the throng of students, blending in with those who knew how to dance to the slower, sultry song. 

  
Conis wasted no time in draping her arms around his neck, pulling her body close to his. She started their dance at a respectable distance, making light conversation as they swayed back and forth to the thumping bass line. Sanji’s voice shook ever so slightly as they spoke as friends, discussing the next song he was planning on arranging for the choir and his choice to dress as Captain America for Halloween. He continued to tell himself that he had been overreacting in the past, as though dancing with a woman was not as uncomfortable as he had made it out to be inside his head, but that did little to stop the cold sweat that began to dot his forehead. 

  
Then, she began to move closer to him, her chest just barely touching the thin material of his costume. 

  
His heart began to work a little harder to pump the blood throughout his veins. He felt the muscles in his forearms tighten, as if subconsciously trying to push her away, to keep her at a safe distance.

  
He felt her lift his arm and he followed her lead, allowing her to spin beneath. He took a deep breath as the touch of her body left his momentarily, using the opportunity of distance to try and regulate his breathing, to fight off the discomfort that was beginning to set in his chest. 

  
She didn’t turn back around. Instead, she hooked his arm across her stomach as she began to slowly push her backside against his frame, imitating the other pairs that surrounded them. She shot him a coy smile over her shoulder, and Sanji began to panic as he realized he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. Oh god, his palms were so sweaty.

  
He tried to move along with her, to match his hips to her rhythm as she threw her head back and rested it on his shoulder, reaching an arm up to tussle his hair. He tried to stop his fingers from shaking as he dug them into the flesh of her waist, not willing to place his hands any lower. He tried to clear his mind, to think only of the girl grinding against him. 

  
Unfortunately, his brain wouldn’t shut up. 

  
He felt so uncomfortable, so out of place, and the images that flashed through his head as he tried to, well, _take interest_ in her movements scared him shitless, though they were far from foreign. He couldn’t focus on the blonde angel gyrating against him as his heart slammed against his ribs and nausea coiled in the pit of his stomach. She was certainly pretty, though he was not sure if he was doing this whole dancing thing right. His eyes darted around the room, trying to mirror the other students holding partners. Some of them wore disgusting leers on their faces, as if their dirty thoughts were on display for all to see, and that only prodded further at his discomfort. Was he not feeling how he was supposed to feel? Was he doing something wrong? The cafeteria was sweltering. There were too many people. It was so loud.

  
Acting before he could think through his actions, he stepped away from Conis. She called out to assure he was okay, but he couldn’t quite make out her words. His ears were ringing. He mumbled a strained apology as he fled from the dancefloor as fast as his trembling legs would take him. He needed to get away. He needed somewhere quiet to be alone. 

  
The back corner away from the thundering speakers was closer than the hallway, and Sanji stumbled over to the wall, leaning against it for support. His limbs had yet to stop shaking, though his heart was slowly returning to an average pace. Oh, how he wished he could smoke indoors. He could use a hit of nicotine to calm him down. 

  
“Oi, it’s Sanji, yeah?” 

  
He turned to stare at the fabric ketchup bottle standing next to him. As it turned out, he was not alone. The trio had not moved from their spot.

  
“Hey, yeah, and you’re Penguin?” He nodded to the mustard bottle, “And Shachi, right?”

  
He was thankful that his voice did not crack. 

  
The two teens were grinning at him, an eagerness in their expressions that he had not been prepared for. He waited for them to say something, to break the increasingly awkward silence, but they simply stared. 

  
“So, uh,” Sanji was grasping at straws, “Condiments, eh?”

  
“It would be better if we had our hot dog, but _someone_ didn’t want to wear the weiner,” Shachi’s smile grew even wider as he jabbed his thumb behind him, gesturing to a very displeased Law. The latter grimaced, avoiding eye contact.

  
“He thinks he’s so cool now that he’s friends with The Straw Hats, isn’t that right, Mr. Doom and Gloom?” Penguin teased, poking at the moping teen’s painted cheek. If Law was an animal, he looked about ready to bite.

  
“Torao,” Sanji greeted him curtly, “How are you tonight?”

  
Law simply looked out onto the dancefloor and shrugged, looking just as uncomfortable as Sanji had felt mere moments ago.   
The beat in the background evolved into an awfully familiar song as the sound of a creaking door and footsteps dissolved into a synth heavy intro, leading into an iconic bass line. Cries of wolves were echoed among the rowdy students.

  
Penguin and Shachi lit up, the former crying, “Oh, dude! It’s _Thriller_! We gotta go dance, we don’t want to lose the bet!”

  
Shooting a hopeful look at Law and met with a indignant scowl, they waddled off towards the strobe lights and dry ice that was floating inches above the floor, their synthetic fabric tubes jiggling with every restricted movement. They launched themselves into the throng of people dancing along with the music teacher, solidifying that Brook would not be dancing alone to the classic Halloween tune. 

  
So far, the Monster Mash had yet to be played even once. 

  
Law and Sanji stood in silence.

  
Sanji considered that now was a good time to go for a smoke. The tension in the air was so thick, he thought he might suffocate.  
Finally, the zombie spoke up, grumbling, “I never called you my friends.”

  
“I know,” Sanji reassured, turning his head to watch the brooding teen carefully.

  
Now that he was closer, he could tell that it was definitely not makeup on his lip. His yellow eyes seemed unfocused, disconnected as he watched the people dancing. His arms were crossed firmly across his chest, and he had one foot propped up on the wall. It seemed he was trying too hard to appear casual. The intensity with which he gripped his arms gave him away.

  
“We’re not friends,” Law insisted, a low growl to his voice. It seemed raspier than usual.

  
Sanji sighed heavily, fully aware that what he was about to say went against everything he had felt in the last week or so. He definitely needed a smoke now. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his costume, he retrieved his zippo and cigarettes.

  
“It’s not too late, you know,” He shot him a tight smile before making for the closest exit. 

  
***

  
“You again?”

  
“Well, technically we are partners in crime, you know.”

  
“We are?” 

  
“You know,” Usopp frowned, quoting with his fingers, “‘ _You and I remember Budapest very differently’_?”

  
It dawned on Nami that he was talking about Black Widow and Hawkeye, and not Nami and Usopp. She nodded in understanding, “Oh, like the movie.”

  
He grinned, a glint in his dark eyes, and as he opened his mouth to speak, she realized that she had fallen into his trap.

  
“Like the movie that you refused to see in theatres because you believed it was all hype and no substance, and then watched with Vivi during a girls night via torrent. You liked it way more than you thought you would, and though you agreed with our costume idea by stating it was an easily recognizable group for us to dress as, you secretly love how badass you feel as your favourite heroine.”

  
She wasn’t sure if she should feel angry, exposed, embarrassed, or impressed. Not wanting to look the demon next to her in his eyes - that were sure to capture her soul with whatever dark magic he was using this Hallow’s Eve – she instead focused her attention on the dancing ketchup and mustard bottles among the crowd of students. There was an upbeat pop song playing, by an artist she could not recognize. The hook seemed to be rather infectious, and the group of teens were shouting along with the chorus. Nami had to admit that it looked like they were having fun.

  
She contemplated her options. She could either admit that Usopp was right and that he did know her best, resulting in the loss of… well, _something_ that had yet to be decided, or she could keep trying to prove him wrong. 

  
A sly grin graced her features as she considered that perhaps her friend wouldn’t be so quick on his feet if he was distracted.

  
Grabbing Usopp’s wrist, she dragged him to the front of the crowd, placing them next to Luffy and Brook. They began to shimmy along with the music, side by side, laughing as Luffy noticed their arrival and shouted out in excitement. Vivi appeared out of thin air, joining their little group of dancers, and Nami spotted Chopper and Zoro out in the hallway, the latter listening intently as the former rambled on about what was most likely Pokémon related. The fact that she couldn’t spot Sanji did not worry her. She guessed he was out for a smoke. 

  
Once they had danced for a solid minute or so, Nami put her plan into action, leaning towards her target’s ear and shouting over the blaring speakers, “Rapid fire round?”

  
He shot her a wide beam, “Bring it on.”

  
His confidence did little to convince her that he was actually ready for this. He was a master of deceit, of theatrics. She had seen him flash the same cocky grin time and time again, mere minutes before cowering beneath whoever had called him out on his most recent tall tale. There was no way he could know her better than Vivi, after all. This was simply another one of his false claims, another way to paint himself as someone who he secretly wished to be. 

  
Spinning around in circles, she cried out, “Favourite colour?”

  
There was no hesitation as he called back, “Orange!”

  
“Biggest fear?”

  
“Bugs. Spiders, in particular.”

  
His smile was growing wider, and Nami began to believe that perhaps he hadn’t been boasting a lie. 

  
Growling in frustration, she danced a bit closer to him, asking, “What’s my favourite food?”

  
“Depends,” He shrugged, and the split second of triumph was quelled as he added, “Your favourite food in general is tangerines, but you’re fond of most fruit for snacking purposes. Your favourite _meal_ is roasted duck in a tangerine sauce. And before you ask, your least favourite food is ice cream – you weirdo – and orangette, because if you wanted fruit, you would eat fruit.”

  
She narrowed her eyes at the young man dancing in front of her. He pumped his fist to the beat and jumped up and down. He looked so at ease, so content in that moment, and Nami began to wonder if he had always glowed when he was happy.

  
“Last one,” She offered, pausing her movements abruptly and jabbing him in the chest with her index finger, “What’s something that a lot of people don’t know about me?”

  
His smile faltered, and he lifted a hand to his chin. He thought for a moment, the flashing lights making him seem rather statuesque as he stood still on the pulsing dancefloor. Then, he answered, “You care a lot about your appearance. You like to pretend you don’t, but you do. You don’t ever wear your reading glasses in public, and whenever you come to school without makeup, you spend more time looking at the floor and hiding your face than at the blackboard, which I think is silly, since you always look pretty and the glasses look nice and – ”

  
He cut himself off with a strangled yelp, immediately burying his face in frantic movements that he tried to hide as some sort of dance move. 

  
Nami sighed. It wasn’t the most creative answer, but he also wasn’t wrong. Maybe he did know her better than she had expected.

“Fine,” she grumbled, leaning closer to his ear so he could hear her over the music, “What do you win?”

  
It surprised her when he waved her words off with a sheepish grin, “Winning is enough of a prize, really. Now I have something new to brag about.”

  
They fell silent, continuing to dance along with their friends. Usopp seemed extra energetic as he spun Luffy around in a circle, and though Vivi laughed animatedly at their goofy actions, Nami felt as though her heart wasn’t in her hollow giggle. 

  
Her eyes trailed on the lanky teen as he boogied some sort of old dance move that Brook had taught him.

  
Perhaps he really did know her best. Would it really be that odd of a thought? He did drive her around town on most days, and they spent an awful lot of time at shows together, being the manager and the sound tech. They had gotten to know each other well over the last two years, and Nami would willingly admit that he was most definitely her closest friend after Vivi. 

  
She couldn’t help but feel ashamed as she recalled how easily he had answered her questions. Would she be able to answer with as little hesitation? She knew she didn’t know most of the answers, and as she watched Usopp’s skinny frame partying along with the other students, she felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over her. He had spent all this time noticing her, but had she ever noticed him? If he really did know her best, then she had a long way to go to meet him on equal ground. Did she even know Usopp at all?

  
Excusing herself from the dancefloor, she dipped out into the hallway, joining Zoro and Chopper by the ticket table with the Jack-O-Lantern. The two boys were seated against the wall, and looked up at her as she slid down to join them. 

Nami snatched the flask out of Zoro’s hand, downing the remainder of the contents in a single gulp. 

  
“Oi!” Zoro protested, swinging his hammer wildly as he reached for the tin container she was holding out of reach. 

  
She pushed him away, one palm on the faux leather armor across his chest. Zoro could easily overpower her. He taught martial arts and kendo! _Of course_ he could take her. Thus, the fact that she was able to repel him at all, meant that he hadn’t been trying that hard to get the flask back in the first place.

  
Which could only mean one thing.

  
“Gimme,” She demanded, handing him back the empty vessel and holding out her other hand expectantly.

  
He narrowed his eyes at her, glaring for an entire five seconds before relenting. Grumbling to himself, he pulled a second flask out of his costume, placing it in her hand with obvious reluctance. 

  
Chopper watched as she took a swig, commenting with a giggle, “Usopp got you rattled?”

  
“No,” Nami scoffed, rolling her eyes, “It’s the damn pumpkin that’s got me on edge.”

  
“The Charlie Brown movie?”

  
“Oh my god, Luffy, no” She could not believe she liked these morons, “That’s the _Great Pumpkin_.”

  
Wait, when did Luffy get here? 

  
If Luffy was here, in the hallway, that meant that he was dangerously close to the lit Jack-O-Lantern. 

  
The lit Jack-O-Lantern that was no longer sitting on the ticket table in front of the cafeteria, but was now careening through the doors of the dance, having been punted by Luffy. He snickered mischievously as he watched the orange ball fly through the air, spinning as it arched over the heads of dancing students, expecting it to land on the flammable tablecloth and set the whole thing ablaze.

  
It did land on the desired surface, however it simply splattered into pieces, its structural integrity replaced by a mushy heap of orange chunks. The tiny flame could not withstand the force with which it was kicked. 

  
_Obviously_.

  
Because her friends were a bunch of idiots, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forever on the usona ship. Can't help it, I'm a sucker for close friends to lovers.  
> And poor sweet Sanji is so stuck in his head :(
> 
> Next chapter: Luffy tries to get Law to forgive him. Can he convince him to come to band practice?
> 
> Okay, see you next Sunday for real this time!  
> Have a lovely week :)


	7. Take It Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law has one hell of a morning, and Luffy just wants to make him smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday!  
> This chapter is named after the song by The Used. I feel as though it is a nice window into Law's inner turmoil. Poor muffin.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Law stared at the blood oozing from his swollen lip.

  
His reflection in the bathroom mirror mocked him, laughed at him. Of course this would happen. Of course his lip would split again, in the exact same spot where it had just healed. The universe was so unfair.

  
At least his black eye was officially gone as of a few days ago. 

  
Lifting the cold compress of a wet cloth wrapped around a bag of ice, he applied minimal pressure to the cut. The damp chill of the moist fabric seeped through the right side of his face, the sort of deep cold that penetrated the marrow of his bones. It was wildly uncomfortable, yet Law knew it would help with the swelling. Thankfully, it was not a deep enough cut to need stitches. He was sure his lips bore tons of little scars on them already, anyway. What was one more? 

  
He supposed it was a good thing he had such an interest in medicinal science, for his hobby of studying anatomy and healthcare practices had become rather helpful when he needed to patch himself up. At least, it had been more helpful to turn to the textbooks when he realized that using chapstick to make the skin of his lips ‘stronger’ was a rather moronic idea. Chapstick didn’t work that way, and it certainly served no use for small cuts on his cheeks, or dark bruises around his eye sockets.

  
He had once had to stitch up a deeper cut from a particularly sharp ring using fishing line from his uncle’s tackle box in the garage, and a sewing needle he had bought at the local craft store. The cashier had looked extremely concerned when the tattooed teen bleeding from the face had placed a single pack of sewing needles on the counter.

  
A choked laugh escaped his throat as he stared at his sorry state in the dusty mirror. 

  
Bepo whined from his spot at Law’s feet. He laid on the bathroom rug, his muzzle resting on the teen’s socks and his dark eyes watching him with what seemed to be concern.

  
He was a smart dog. He knew what was going on. 

  
The Samoyed had growled at Law’s bedroom door when his uncle had stumbled into the house at 6 in the morning. When that hadn’t woken the sleeping teen, he had barked loudly, alerting Law of the new arrival. 

  
Sure enough, the noise had brought his uncle’s attention to his bedroom door, which was torn open with such force that it nearly fell off its hinges. A tall figure had loomed in the doorway, shadowed by the darkness of dawn. The silhouette of an elaborate feathered coat draped over the man’s shoulders made his frame seem larger and far more intimidating, only emphasized by the curved sunglasses he wore despite being indoors. Law was certain that the glasses did more than hide his bloodshot eyes – he believed he wore them to prevent his clients from reading him, making him unpredictable and menacing. 

  
Bepo had not held back his snarl as Law’s uncle had moved towards the teen, steps unsteady and frame leaning slightly to the right, giving away the large amount of alcohol he had consumed during his ‘shift at work’. Law was not quite sure what Doflamingo did for a living, but he had no doubt that it was illegal, dangerous, and encouraged spending the early hours of the morning at sketchy after-hours clubs. He must have closed some sort of deal, and had been drinking with the client, which never bode well for Law.

  
“Trafalgar,” The man had sneered at a piece of paper in his hands, “I’ve always hated that name.”

  
Ah, so that’s what he wanted.

  
He had thrown the paper down on Law’s desk with a clumsy flourish before closing in on the teen and fisting the fabric of his shirt. He had dragged Law to his feet, pushing him towards the small rectangular sheet with a thin line printed in the center. Law hadn’t bothered to ask. He had known it was the backside of a check made out to him. He had known his uncle wanted him to sign the endorsement so he could deposit it in his own account. 

  
He had let his eyes search the desk for the closest pen, which his uncle interpreted incorrectly as hesitation. Law knew by now that there was no point in fighting back, just as there was no point in the bleak existence of his life. This was how things worked, and there was nothing he could do to change it. He was trapped. 

  
“If you take any longer, I’ll have to make a trip down to the basement. You know I don’t like to be kept waiting,” Doflamingo had reprimanded his delay by roughly grabbing Law’s wrist, strong ringers squeezing tightly around the slim joint. He had yanked the teen’s hand forward as the latter flinched at his words, shoving a glittering pink pen between the digits and forcing the utensil to the paper. He had ranted in a seething growl as he watched Law sign away his father’s royalties, “Why my brother never made you a Donquixote, I will never understand. _Trafalgar_.”

  
Law had bristled, snarling, “I will never be a Donquixote. I am not like you.”

  
A sharp slap across his face had sent the young man reeling, vision blurring as he rocked back on his heels from the force. He had felt the stinging sensation on his lip before he had tasted the salty tang of blood, wincing more so in annoyance than pain. Another split lip to nurse. 

  
“Get your ass to school,” His uncle spat, stomping out of the bedroom. His movement had become less staggered, more fluid, as if their interaction had begun to sober him up. As he closed the door to the bedroom, he added in a low hiss, “I better not hear you leave.”

  
He had slammed the door shut, and once he had made his way into his own bedroom, Law had crept out of his room to patch himself up in the bathroom. 

  
Bepo huffed, his tail thumping slowly against the tiled floor. He was getting impatient. 

  
“I know, buddy,” Law murmured, his voice muffled through the cold compress he held against his lip, “Just a little longer.”

  
The bleeding had stopped a while ago, and though the flesh appeared red and swollen, Law knew it would have been much worse had he not treated the cut as soon as possible. He figured five more minutes of the icy cloth against his skin and the injury would simply resemble a cut one would get from biting their lip too hard. 

  
Oh, that could work.

  
If Penguin or Shachi asked, he would tell them he stumbled a bit while boarding and bit his lip.

  
They wouldn’t believe him anyway, but it was better than telling them the truth. Then they might start their typical awkward lecture on how he should go to the police, how he should seek help. He had sat through the rehearsed script four times before – once towards the end of Grade 9 when they had known him for almost 10 months and had figured out what was happening, and three other times throughout Grade 10 and 11. They had given up before this school year. They knew nothing they said would make a difference, and Law appreciated that they respected his privacy. They didn’t understand. They didn’t get it. 

  
Tidying up the bathroom and hanging the wet cloth on the towel rack to dry, Law tiptoed back to his bedroom to change out of his sweatpants and t-shirt, replacing the sleepwear with ripped jeans and a thick, woolly sweater. He laced up a pair of black combat boots and pulled a white and grey spotted toque over his messy hair, grabbing Bepo’s leash on his way out of the room. 

  
The dog had successfully made it to the front door with minimal noise, and looked awfully proud of himself, tail thumping rhythmically against the carpet.

  
The earth felt frozen beneath his boots as Law allowed Bepo to lead him around the block, a chill in the air that signaled snow would be arriving soon. It wasn’t that surprising, since it was close to mid November. His breath visible as he exhaled, Law was reminded by how much he loved winter as a child. He had loved building snowmen, making snow angels, tobogganing down icy hills, and having snowball fights with…

  
He had hoped that adopting Bepo three years ago would not only help get him out of the house more often, give him something to care for and a reason to continue living, but also inspire him to make new memories that involved snow. As Samoyeds originated in Siberia, they were very fond of the cold, and Bepo was no outlier, tail held high and swaying in the frigid breeze that rustled his fur. Law had tried his hardest to be mindful of the times that he had watched his puppy burrow through snow drifts and disappear in the chilled substance, but frolicking with Bepo hadn’t been enough to take his mind off the blues brought by winter.

  
Of course, this train of thought simply led him to a dark tunnel of despair that continued yelling at him, screaming at him that there was no point in anything. Everything was meaningless. There was no point in his life, and when he was gone, no one would remember Trafalgar Law in a relatively short period of time. He was less than a speck in the history of the universe. So, why did it matter if he lived an unsatisfactory life of misery? He was doomed to be nothing, and he was fine with it. 

  
Once Bepo was secure and comfortable in his room, Law grabbed his board and headed to school.

  
He did not bother putting his headphones in his ears. He was too tired to care. Music wouldn’t help at this point anyway. When he was already this low, he knew that a single introspective melody would send him spiraling even further down a path of guilt and regret.

  
He should have just gotten on stage and played the stupid song instead of causing such a scene.

  
A little voice spoke up in the back of his mind as he sped down the sidewalks towards the looming castle-esque building. It gently told him that it was getting worse, that maybe it was time to see a doctor, that this was no way to live.

  
He ignored it, grateful for the distraction of the first bell and the wave of students rushing inside from where they had been smoking in the parking lot. Law waved casually to Penguin and Shachi, who shot him two wide grins from their spot atop Penguin’s car. They usually skipped their MSIP class, which was first period. He wished his MSIP was the same time block for two reasons – He would be able to hangout with the only two people he was willing to call his friends, and he wouldn’t have to deal with Monkey D. Luffy.

  
Alas, he was not so lucky. 

  
He crossed his fingers as he entered the third period classroom, hoping that the seat in front of him would be empty, that Luffy had decided to spend his time in the music room as he did so often. Law had a fair amount of biology homework, and an essay for philosophy that he would like to get started on, and he didn’t want to deal with the Straw Hats' frontman today. Or, _ever_ , for that matter.

  
Unfortunately, Luffy’s eyes were locked on him the moment he stepped through the door. 

  
“Hi Torao!” Luffy chirped, just as he had done every day that he had been present. He sat as straight as possible, as if Law’s arrival had sent a static shock up the teen’s spine. His fingers fidgeted with the sleeves of his royal blue waffled shirt, his shaggy mop of dark hair falling into his wide eyes that held an unreasonable amount of excitement. He bore a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, betraying the guilt that laid beneath his pleasant façade.

  
Law ignored him, just as _he_ had done every day.

  
Pulling his biology homework from his backpack, he began to read over the questions, penciling in various answers that came to him with ease, all the while Luffy blabbered away. Law feigned indifference, though he listened to each word the other teen said. There was only another 3 minutes for him to ramble before the bell signalling the start of the period rang and Mr. Smoker told him to shut it, anyway. Law could handle 3 minutes, as long as Luffy didn’t bring up – 

  
“Wanna come to band practice today?”

  
And there it was.

  
“No,” He answered dryly, refusing to look up from the assignment in front of him. 

  
“Why not?”

  
“Because I don’t want to.”

  
Luffy’s voice paused, before sounding again, though far more timid, “Ah. Um, Torao?”

  
Not entirely sure why he was now just answering to this new nickname as if he approved of it, Law sighed, “Yes, Mr. Straw Hat?”

  
“I’m sorry. For the show and, well, you know,” Though Luffy sounded uncomfortable and embarrassed, he certainly sounded sincere.

  
That didn’t excuse the fact that it was a pretty piss poor excuse for an apology.

  
“I’m afraid I don’t know, Mr. Straw Hat,” Law pushed, placing his pencil down with a huff and narrowing his eyes in an expectant glare.

  
Luffy’s big eyes were pooling with concern as he stared at the small cut on the other teen’s lip. He reached out a hand tentatively, before yanking it back as he realized what he was doing. Law was glad he hadn’t needed to snap at him for him to realize that his actions were going to be inappropriate. Lowering his hand onto the back of his chair, Luffy frowned and looked him straight on as he stated, “I am very sorry for trying to get you to play on stage with us without asking first. That was uncool.” 

  
When Law didn’t answer, he sputtered, “I-I really want you to… Can you come to band practice today? Please? We really need your help, Torao. It’s already November and we need to write a good song that will win the competition by February 1st and we can’t do it without you.” 

  
“I think you’ll be just fine without me,” Law scoffed, resuming his homework in an attempt to end the conversation. 

  
The bell finally rang and Luffy turned around in his seat. 

  
Finally, he had an hour to focus on his school work. Well, more like fifteen minutes to do his homework, another five of brainstorming his essay, and then the rest of the period to listen to music and write, if he was feeling up to it. 

  
There was the rasp of a chair leg on linoleum floor as Luffy pushed his chair back, leaning against Law’s desk. With an exasperated sigh, Law’s eyes darted up to meet the gaze of the other teen, whose face was way too close to his. 

  
“I want to do this with you,” Luffy spoke in a small voice, his brow creased in a sort of determination that, in all honesty, Law found rather admirable. He was not going to be easy to shake off, if the last couple weeks had been any indication. 

  
That night at the show had been rough. Really rough. He had been so desperate to get home that he had even called his uncle to pick him up, which he rarely did, for obvious reasons. Doflamingo certainly hadn’t been happy about the call, but at least Law had caught him before he had left for work. 

  
Half of him didn’t want to forgive Luffy. He was still angry at putting him in such a position without knowing about his past, about… his father. 

  
However, the other half of him understood that, despite the clear humiliation that the situation had provided, Luffy _hadn’t known_. The rational side of him told him that he just had to be honest about his boundaries and then they could go back to how practices had been before the show – awkward in the moments between songs, but absolute bliss when they were playing. He couldn’t ignore how alive he had felt in the moments he had spent behind a microphone, guitar in hand. He had to acknowledge that he had felt lighter than he had in years while watching the Straw Hats rehearse, while watching Luffy expel all of his energy by leaping around the practice area.

  
Besides, more time at the jam space meant less time at home.

  
Law set his lips in a tight frown, yet he murmured his assent. This caused Luffy rock backwards with an enthusiastic cry, his chair sliding out from under him with an ugly screech and sending the boy tumbling to the floor with a loud laugh.

He was such a weirdo. 

  
“MONKEY D. LUFFY,” Mr. Smoker bellowed, cigar smoke spewing from his mouth, “YOU WILL NOT GET A SECOND WARNING.”

  
As he turned back to the paper before him, a problem wormed its way into his head. Reaching into his pants pocket, he retrieved his cellphone, firing off a quick text under the desk, in hopes that the teacher would not notice that he was not paying attention to his homework. 

  * 10:40am – **Law**  
 _Hey, I have a thing after school. Can you let Bepo out into the backyard at some point?_



  * 10:45am – **Doffy**  
 _It’s your dog_.



Yeah, he should have expected that. There was one other approach he had considered in the past, though that would require giving Penguin or Shachi a key to his house. Not only did he not trust his friends in his personal space, for fear they would leave some sort of prank for him, but he also did not want to expose them to his uncle. No, that was out of the question.

  
He stared up at the ceiling, realizing that he had a third option. An option that Bepo would certainly love, but that Law wasn’t the most fond of. Introducing the band and their friends to his dog was simply another step towards friendship, and Law _did not want that._ Unfortunately, it was either go to practice with Bepo, or stay home, and he _knew_ Luffy wouldn’t let him choose the latter.

  * 10:50am – **torao**  
 _Can I bring my dog? Would Mr. Franky be okay with that?_



  
Luffy turned around in his seat to shoot him a thumbs up. “YES!” He whisper-shouted, “Everyone will be so stoked!”

  
Mr. Smoker was eyeing them in warning, heavy boots lifted onto his desk as he lounged in his chair. Law wondered how many complaints the school received a year regarding the teacher’s dual cigars. Seriously, how was that okay? Was he blackmailing Principal Sengoku or something?

  * 10:52am – **captain** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _(Added **torao** to group)_



  * 10:52am – **captain** in **_Straw Hat Pirates_**  
 _Guys! Torao is bringing his dog to practice today! Get stoked._



Law winced as his phone continuously vibrated in his pocket. Why on earth would Luffy add him to the band’s group chat? Nami and Usopp weren’t even in the chat, and their roles were far more important than his.

  
Sure enough…

  * 10:55am – **cook** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Well, welcome to the band, Torao._



  * 10:58am – **archaeologist** in _ **Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _I’ll let Franky know. Is your dog good with cats, Torao?_



Law didn’t need to be speaking face to face to Sanji to feel the contempt in his words. Why would Luffy put him and Sanji in such an uncomfortable position? He wasn’t part of the band! He was just supposed to write them a song! That’s it, that’s all. 

  
He hesitated before typing back, deciding he would talk to Luffy about removing him from the chat later. 

  * 11:05am – **torao** in _**Straw Hat Pirates**_  
 _Loves cats and people._



  
“TRAFALGAR LAW! NO CELL PHONES!”

  
He was extremely grateful when the lunch bell rang. 

  
Plopping himself down on the cafeteria bench next to Penguin and across from Shachi, Law pulled his daily granola bar out of his bag and began to slowly work away at it while absently listening to his friends discuss the first half of their day.

  
“Dude, so then Ms. Hina is all, ‘Penguin, why don’t you read out the answer to #4?’ and I’m like, ‘C’mon Ms. Hina, you know I didn’t do my homework,’ and bro, I swear she winked at me,” His friend was gushing, in between mouthfuls of microwavable pasta. 

  
“I don’t believe you for a second,” Shachi laughed, “That would be like me saying Jewelry Bonney made out with me after her set last week, or Law saying he hooked up with Nico Robin.”

  
Law rolled his eyes, grumbling, “I would appreciate it if you did not talk about Ms. Nico that way, Shachi. Penguin, that goes for you too.”

  
The two teens chuckled heartily, with Penguin teasing, “Oh? Why not? You got a crush on your new _friend_ or something?”

  
Law nearly spit out the water he was drinking. There were so many things _wrong_ with that statement, he just didn’t even know where to begin. Putting aside the fact that he was not interested in women, he was pretty sure he was incapable of feeling anything for anybody, including friendship for anyone other than the two he merely _tolerated_. 

  
He opened his mouth to protest just as he felt the warmth of embarrassment seeping through his body, suddenly aware the his stomach felt odd. It was a strange sort of tingle, unlike nausea but far from comfortable. He considered that this was probably what they called ‘butterflies’, what one felt when they thought of the person who held their heart. Why he was feeling this now, he wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps just the humiliation of being accused of something so false was enough to set him off, to make him feel the perfect amount of anxious that would materialize in the strange bodily sensation. 

  
Thankfully, he didn’t need to justify the blush that tinted his cheeks, as a familiar red head approached the table, distracting Penguin and Shachi. 

  
“Torao,” Nami said, voice wavering ever so slightly as Law turned his cold gaze on her, “Luffy said you’re coming to practice today.”

  
“If that’s what Mr. Straw Hat says, then it must be correct,” He answered, ignoring the way his comrades stared at the manager of the Straw Hats with unfiltered adoration.

  
Nami placed her hands on her hips, her default position. Law quite liked that pose of hers. It radiated confidence, told people that she was not somebody to mess with. It suited her perfectly, as she was easily one of the smartest, most capable people Law had ever met. Not just anybody could run an underground gambling ring out of the cafeteria, score consistently perfect grades, work a part-time job, _and_ manage the region’s most popular cover band.

  
“In that case,” She handed him a colorful poster, “The next show is Saturday, November 24th with Victoria Punk and Static Cling. I’m sure we would all love if you came. You guys should come too, Penguin, Shachi.” She nodded to the two other teens at the table, who may as well have melted into two puddles of lovesick goo. 

  
They blabbered about how they would definitely be there, and Nami excused herself from their table, returning across the room to where the Straw Hat crew sat by the window next to the trash can. 

  
“Ugh, Nami is _so hot_ ,” Penguin moaned as soon as the young woman was out of earshot, “I would go to the show just to watch her run the merch table.”

  
“Oh shit, let’s ask her if she needs any help running the table!” Shachi chimed, eyes lighting up as if it was the best idea he had ever had. 

  
“Don’t do that,” Law groaned, “We’re not going to the show.”

  
“Of course we are! We love Victoria Punk,” Penguin poked him in the cheek, “And you have to go support your _friends_.”

  
If they kept this up, his friend count would drop from 3 to 1, and that was including Bepo.

  
The rest of the day went by relatively smoothly, save for the group assignment that was given out in 12th Grade Media. For their summative project, they were supposed to create thirty minute films of whatever they liked in groups of three or more. When they had first gotten the project, Law had been intrigued by the freedom it provided, and had been immediately overwhelmed by potential ideas.   
Those ideas had gone spiraling down the drain when Nami and Vivi claimed him as their partner, stating, “Well, we’ll be at the jam space together all the time anyway.”

  
Just great.

  
Despite Luffy and his new project partners doing their very best to force him into their group, Sanji seemed colder than ever towards Law. 

  
Having beaten everybody else to Pop Choir, as per usual thanks to his last period taking place in the music room, Law had been stretching his fingers on the piano when Sanji had walked in, shrugging off his backpack and taking his seat on Mr. Sohl’s stool at the front of the classroom. He had glanced in Law’s direction for the briefest movement, and had nodded in greeting, his jaw clenched and his lips in a tight frown. His visible blue eye seemed distant, as if he was lost in thought, and he startled when Vivi called his name to lead them in their first song.

  
There was a palpable tension in the air as everyone packed up their things at 4 o’clock. Sanji hesitated by the door, bag slung over one shoulder and hands shoved in his pockets. The pose would have been casual had it not been for the obvious stiffness of his frame, the way he tapped his foot impatiently and glared in Law’s direction.

  
He was visibly relieved when Law said, “I have to go get my dog, so I’ll be late. You guys start without me.”

  
“Cool. See you soon,” Sanji’s face contorted as if the words he spoke were physically painful, and the teen wasted no time in turning on his heel and hurrying out of the classroom. 

  
Law stopped by his locker to grab his skateboard, rushing home as fast as possible. The trip took approximately twenty minutes, and he knew it would be another thirty to get to the jam space. His uncle, thankfully, remained in his bedroom while Law retrieved his guitar and Bepo, who was chomping at the bit to get outside. He was going to lose his mind when he got to their destination. 

  
The sun had warmed the cold November breeze considerably in relation to the frosty air of the morning, and Law was perfectly comfortable in his sweater as he skated towards the jam space, Bepo happily running at his side. He hoped that the dog would be tired enough to not explode with excitement when he met everybody, though he lowered his expectations when he noticed the white fluff’s tail wagging so fast that it was nearly lifting him off the ground like a propeller. Law wasn’t sure how, but the dog knew he was going somewhere fun.

  
They arrived at _Franky’s SUPER Autobody & Mechanical_ just as the last chorus of Gob’s _Give Up the Grudge_ faded away into a far more acceptable silence for Bepo’s sensitive ears. With a quick greeting to the mechanic, who began to pull himself out from under a propped up car, Law threw open the door to the jam space, letting go of Bepo’s leash so the eager beast could explore before getting moved to Franky’s house for the remainder of the practice. 

  
Shouts of delight sounded around the room as Bepo zoomed from person to person, sniffing them swiftly while he let them pat his fluffy head. Once the Samoyed felt that he had greeted everyone appropriately, he plopped himself down in the middle of the band area, rolling onto his back and begging for belly rubs. He panted happily as Robin crouched down to comply, as Nami practically hurdled the couch to join her. Law was pretty sure he had never heard Nami shriek in such a high pitch as she complimented the dog on his beautiful white coat and cute little black nose. 

  
Law felt a surge of pride flow throughout his body. Yes, his dog was such a good boy. 

  
Even Zoro and Sanji stared at the dog with affection in their eyes, and Luffy…

  
Well, Luffy was currently lying on his back next to the Samoyed, imitating Bepo’s movements. He lolled his tongue out of his mouth, panting ridiculously as he joked, “What do you think, guys? If I lie like this will Torao come pet me?”

  
Law blinked at Luffy. _What_ had he just said? He didn’t even know how to process the teen’s words. He was sure he was simply trying to goad him into goofing around with him, and Luffy was a rather touchy person in general, but the frontman should know by now that Law valued his personal space, and would _never_ do something so humiliating. 

  
His thoughts didn’t seem to line up with his body’s reaction, though, as he found himself smirking ever so slightly at the strange teen’s actions. “You’re a moron, Mr. Straw Hat,” Law chuckled, the sound of his rare laugh surprising his ears. 

  
It seemed to surprise everybody else as well, as Nami and Robin looked up from Bepo to smile at him in encouragement, while Zoro and Sanji exchanged a look, eyebrows raised and confusion apparent across their faces. Luffy simply snickered his signature giggle, eyes squinting shut as his beam took up half of his face. 

  
Law tuned his guitar, setting it on a stand and taking a seat at the high top table while Franky escorted Bepo to his house next door. He felt oddly at ease in the familiar space, despite not having been there in a couple weeks, finding himself actually looking forward to hearing The Straw Hats play again. He wasn’t even bothered by Nami taking the seat across from him, and nodded politely when she explained that the others were not able to make it today. 

  
Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so hard on Luffy following the _incident_. Perhaps he had sort of, kind of, just _maybe_ missed playing music with them.

  
He waited patiently as the band ran through the rest of the cover set they were most definitely planning on playing at the next show. Packed full with classic pop-punk hits, Law understood why the Straw Hats were so popular in their region. Not only did they sound incredible, but the energy they brought to familiar songs would make the majority of crowds want to dance and sing along. They were very smart with their set lists, and he was sure that Robin and Nami were most likely the ones to put them together. 

  
When the clock struck 5:30pm, Sanji excused himself from practice in order to take the bus to work for the evening. This had become the norm at their practices. Law would wait until Sanji left for work, and then Luffy would have Law join them to play along with some mutual songs they knew, and to mess around with some potential ideas for an original song. He found it odd that they were trying to write without their guitarist present, but Luffy seemed unbothered by this, and Robin and Zoro followed his lead without question. 

  
Sanji bid farewell to everybody, though when he glanced at Law, his gaze was just as cold as it had been in Pop Choir. He exited the room with so much urgency that it appeared as though he had been wanting to leave the entire time. Since when did Sanji dislike him so much? They used to get along just fine. They were not necessarily friendly, but they had always been civil, and Law believed that he had made it clear that he respected him a great deal.

  
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Luffy calling for him. 

  
Slinging his guitar across his torso, he plugged it into Sanji’s amp, testing the volume level with a few quick strums. He looked to the frontman expectantly, yet accidentally made eye contact with Robin.

  
Her eyes were terrifying. She looked at him as if she could see into his soul, and the smile she shot him chilled him to the bone. It was as if she understood something that he wasn’t even aware of yet, her gaze pumping him full of insecurities. He went to look at Zoro for reassurance, but the drummer was staring at the bassist. His eyes shone with adoration, his jaw nearly slack, causing his third drumstick to tumble out of his mouth. Robin giggled as her eyes flitted to the blushing teen behind the drum kit. 

  
Law wondered how long that dynamic had been going on. 

  
“Wanna do a run through of _Everything Is Alright?”_ Luffy asked, though it wasn’t quite a question. 

  
The three other musicians nodded in agreement, Law playing the synth riff quickly on his guitar to ensure he remembered it. He had begun to make a list of all the songs the band knew, and was learning them in his free time. He supposed he simply wanted to be able to play along with them whenever they asked, just in case. Plus, he would never turn down the opportunity to expand his library of known melodies. 

  
As Zoro began the opening drum beat, pounding on his own for 4 bars, Law grinned. He was quite fond of this particular song. Motion City Soundtrack was a fun, quirky band with a cult following, and he had never heard of them until he had gone to learn this song. He found their catchy synth parts and painfully relatable lyrics appealing, and the rest of their discography had swiftly become a part of his daily playlist. He wondered which bandmate had introduced the others to this particular group. He would have to thank them later. 

  
Law took the lead guitar part while Luffy took the lead vocals, strumming the rhythm guitar part as he sang. The former looked to Robin as they neared the first chorus, silently asking whether she wanted to take the backup vocals. When she shook her head, Law approached Sanji’s microphone, too lost in the music to feel nervous about singing in front of them anymore. They had already heard him plenty of times before, anyway. He was beginning to feel comfortable with the concept around the Straw Hats. 

  
As they geared up to his favourite part of the song, Law took a deep breath in and prepared to voice the counter melody to Luffy’s main vocals. 

  
Luffy, of course, decided to move his microphone right before the bridge, so that it was touching the end of Law’s mic. They stood across from each other, two microphones between them as they sang into the other’s face. 

  
“ _Give me a reason to end this discussion,”_ The younger teen held the notes, smiling through the words as his eyes sparkled with something Law could not recognize, “ _To break with tradition, to fold and divide._ ”

  
“ _I don’t believe a word, of anything I’ve heard,_ ” Law found himself grinning as he sang beneath the drawn out notes, “ _Tell me that it’s not so hard, it’s not so hard.”_

  
As their voices rang out around the room, Law did not break eye contact with Luffy, both teens comfortable enough with the guitar parts, not needing to check to make sure they were playing the right chords. He could have sworn that the light in the room was getting dimmer, that the young man in front of him was glowing, his energy bursting forth and lighting up the area. 

  
“ _I don’t want to waste your time,”_ Law’s smile only grew as they sang the last line of the bridge in perfect harmony, and he knew in that moment that whatever emotion was on display in Luffy’s eyes, was mirrored in his own. 

  
Robin shot him another one of her all-knowing smiles as the song came to an end, and he had to fight off a shiver that threatened to crawl down his spine. 

  
They played a few other songs before Law offered to teach them his latest idea. He was pretty set on the instrumentation of this particular original piece, and felt that it could potentially be the one that would win them the Battle of the Bands. It was wildly catchy, had a fun guitar hook that could be traded for vocals halfway through, and an upbeat vibe that would encourage dancing. 

  
There was only one problem.

  
“What about the vocals, Torao? Do you wish to show us them?” Robin asked. Zoro nodded in agreement.

  
Law hesitated, before shaking his head, “Um, no thank you, they aren’t done yet.”

  
The truth of the matter was that he hadn’t been able to write any lyrics he deemed acceptable ever since he started playing with the Straw Hats. He wasn’t sure why, but whenever he had sat down to pen some ideas, he had ended up with a blank sheet of paper. It was as though the pressure to come up with something perfect on his first try was overriding his system and making everything seem, well, just _terrible_. 

  
Therefore, he had begun avoiding writing.

  
Thankfully, Luffy simply shrugged, quipping, “No worries. We got a lot done today.”

  
They packed up their instruments, and prepared to retire for the evening. Zoro grabbed a beer from the mini-fridge, just as Franky entered the jam space, his own beverage in hand, and Sunny and Bepo racing in after him. Once a round of alcoholic drinks were dispersed, they popped the VHS of Pixar’s _Monsters Inc_. into the VCR for background noise and made themselves comfortable. Robin and Zoro claimed the couch, while Nami and Franky sat at the table. Law chose to sit on the floor so he could be close to Bepo, who wedged his fluffy body right between him and Luffy. Sunny curled up in his favourite spot on Robin’s lap, and she absently stroked the big orange cat as she took a sip of the beer bottle she held in her hand. 

  
Law used his thumb to tear at the label on the bottle in his hands. He wasn’t necessarily one to hang out with the group after practicing, typically preferring to excuse himself and board home on his own, but he couldn’t ignore the feeling in his gut that anywhere was better than his house right now. So, he sat there, listening to the group of well-established friends chatter away, feeling far more awkward now that he did not have a guitar around his torso and a microphone at his lips. 

  
“I figured we could draw names for Secret Santa at the next practice that everyone can make,” Nami suggested, nodding to the mechanic across the table from her, “As long as Franky is cool with us throwing our Christmas party here, of course.”

  
Franky shot her a thumbs up, exclaiming, “I have already started stockpiling alcohol for the bar we’re going to set up. This year’s party will be _SUPER_!”

  
Nami began to take notes on the pad of paper she had pulled from her backpack, “Fantastic. Sanji will handle food, and Usopp and I will work with Franky on lights and décor. Brook and Robin will be in charge of music, and I’ll have Chopper and Vivi come up with some games we can play. Zoro and Luffy, can I trust you two to get a Christmas tree?”

  
Zoro grunted an affirmation while Luffy nodded enthusiastically, chiming, “I bet Zoro can cut one down with his swords.”

  
The drummer grinned, “Only one way to find out.”

  
“Oh, we should get the giant tree behind the school. It’s, like, so _tall_ ,” Luffy snickered, his hands buried in Bepo’s coat as the dog leaned over to lick his face.

  
Nami rolled her eyes, “It has to actually fit in here, idiots. Don’t make me regret assigning you a project”

  
Robin smiled reassuringly at the red-head, soothing, “Don’t worry, Nami. I’ll make sure the tree is an appropriate size.” She patted Zoro on the head, causing him to grumble in annoyance, despite the red flush that crawled up his neck. 

  
“Anyway,” Nami narrowed her eyes at the two on the couch, interest flashing across her face before she redirected her attention to Law, “Torao, can I put you in charge of photography? You took the Grade 11 course last year, right?”

  
“Uh,” Law faltered, “What’s this party now?”

  
“It’s our Christmas Eve party! We all get together and drink and eat lots and listen to music and dance and it’s so much fun. It’s like _Friendmas_! You’re obviously coming because you’re our friend. And you can bring Bepo and Penguin and Shachi, if you want!” Luffy answered, the words tumbling out of his mouth as he continued to massage Bepo’s ears. 

  
The dog was now leaning his whole body into the teen, practically falling into his lap as he panted happily. Law was a little unnerved by just how much he seemed to like Luffy.

All eyes were on him, waiting for his response to Nami’s request.

  
What was he supposed to say? They weren’t friends. He didn’t want to go to a Christmas party where they _celebrated friendship_. That was easily up there on his list of worst possible ways to spend the holidays. 

  
They all looked so damn hopeful, so damn approachable and kind. Even Zoro, who emoted just as much as Law himself, was watching him with curiosity, clearly wondering if he would accept their offer that would solidify him as their friend. Was there any way he could attend this party and remain distant, separate from their little group? He really doubted it.

  
“Um,” Law hesitated, keeping his face as indifferent as possible, “Sure, I guess.”

  
Penguin and Shachi were going to have a field day with this. 

  
He buried the flush that spread across his face with a deep swig of his beer as Luffy erupted into a loud cheer next to him. Robin was watching him again, and he knew her x-ray vision pierced through his line of defense, as she smirked mischievously. Zoro followed her gaze, tilting his head to the side inquisitively. 

  
Law just wanted the attention to be focused on someone other than him. 

  
As the conversation moved to the summative projects all teachers had assigned with less than a month left before exams began, and Franky amused the group by comparing their extravagant tasks with the easy papers he had to write back in his day, Law found his mind wandering. He gazed around the group, disappointed that Bepo was still showering Luffy with all of his affection. He would have appreciated the support of his dog in this moment. 

  
Despite Luffy’s insistence that he was now their – he gagged a bit at the thought – _friend_ , he felt more alone than ever. The group had two years of inside jokes built up, of events they could reference, and it almost sounded as if they were speaking a foreign language.

He noticed the way Nami bopped Franky’s shoulder with her fist as she was poking fun at the older man, and the way Robin was quick to nudge Zoro whenever he began drifting off in the comfort of the couch. Luffy was constantly trying to get a high-five from anyone who would participate, and Franky grabbed Robin’s hand at one point, pulling her out of her seat to role play a story with her. They were so _touchy_ , so _affectionate_ , and Law wasn’t sure how he would ever be able to fit in with people who enjoyed showing their closeness through their hands. 

  
As their round of drinks was finished, Zoro and Nami excused themselves to go catch the next bus, and Luffy stood, grabbing his skateboard. As Robin and Franky bid farewell to Bepo and wrangled Sunny, Law made his way over to the guitar stand to pack up the black electric instrument. 

  
“Why don’t you just leave your guitar here, like we do?” Luffy asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

  
Law shrugged, “Can I?”

  
“Well, duh,” He grinned, “It’s not like you’ll never be back here. Unless you need it at home.”

  
“Nah,” Law shook his head, “I use my acoustic at home. Thanks, Mr. Straw Hat.”

  
“Why do you call me that?” Luffy asked as they exited the room together, frowning ever so slightly.

  
“You are _the_ Straw Hat, are you not?” Law drawled, pausing as they reached the sidewalk in front of the lot, “Would you prefer I call you Captain, like the others?”

  
“I like it when you call me Luffy.”

  
“And when have I ever called you that?”

  
The other teen shrugged, his foot pushing down on his skateboard and rocking it up and down, “Once in the music room.”

  
“Huh,” Law blinked, genuinely surprised that Luffy would remember such a menial event. 

  
Bepo whined, his paws thrumming against the pavement beneath him. He was getting hungry. It was past his usual dinner time. 

  
“Wanna skate home together?” Luffy asked, scratching Bepo’s ears to ease the dog’s impatience.

  
“I thought you lived the other way?”

  
Wait, why did he know which way Luffy went after school? 

  
The teen grinned, “Nah, I just always come here everyday. Even if we don’t have practice, I hang out with Franky and skate around the lot. I live the same direction as you.”

  
“Alright then,” Law answered, forcing away the smile that threatened to creep across his face. 

  
They let Bepo set the pace, following in single file down the sidewalk as the dog trudged ahead, fully aware that his food would be awaiting him when he got home. He was practically pulling Law along, and he absently remembered wondering if this was even possible mere weeks ago. He now knew that yes, he could indeed let Bepo pull him around on his skateboard if there was a meal involved. 

  
Once they reached the quieter, suburban streets, Luffy jumped off the curb, skating alongside Law on the road. 

  
“What’s your favourite band?” Luffy chirped, calling over the rolling growl of wheels against pavement. 

  
Law winced, not sure how he wanted to respond. Did he give the real answer, or the less true but cooler answer?

  
Luffy read his hesitation, adding, “I won’t judge. Mine is Blink-182, and Nami always tells me that that’s too predictable.”

  
“My Chemical Romance,” Law muttered, staring at the sidewalk in front of him as he pushed off on his right foot. “I know, I know, so _emo_ ,” He sighed.

  
Luffy shook his head, “Dude, MCR is great.”

  
“It’s just… Everyone always judges them on their looks, ya know? But when you really listen to the music, they are extremely talented song writers who know how to tell one hell of a story,” Law defended his stance, voice picking up in volume. 

  
They sped around a corner as the other teen grinned, “People will say what they want to say, but they write good music that speaks to you, and that’s most important.”

  
Bepo began to trot faster as they neared his house, big white paws pounding against cement, tongue lolling out of his mouth. 

  
“Who brought Motion City Soundtrack to the group?” Law asked as he adjusted to the new speed.

  
Luffy looked rather proud, puffing out his chest as he surfed on his skateboard, “I did! You like them?”

  
“Yeah,” He couldn’t help that his voice sounded a bit surprised. He had assumed it was Robin, “Thanks for the introduction.”

  
It was peaceful as they turned down the street that lead to his home, Luffy following their lead as Bepo dragged Law to the front steps of the mid-sized house in the center of a court. 

  
As they began to slow down, Luffy asked, “Hey, Torao, what happened to your lip?”

  
Startled, Law flinched, tripping over his own feet as he went to dismount from his board. He tumbled forward, slamming him palms into the frozen ground that was only slightly dusted with snow, the rest of his body following suite and crashing onto the boulevard. 

  
“Oh, shit! Sorry,” Luffy babbled as he picked up his board by the trunk and jogged over to the mound of sweater and jeans lying on the dying grass that was Law. He held out a hand, offering aide as Law rolled over from his stomach, onto his back. 

  
His whole body ached, but the pain was far from unbearable. He had not fractured his wrists, and those had been the only things at risk from the tumble. If anything, he may have scraped his knee, but other than that, he was A-OK. He glared at the outstretched palm in his face, grumbling, “I don’t like being touched.”

  
Luffy seemed unfazed, simply shrugging before holding out his board in place of his hand with a cheeky grin.

  
His sunny personality was infectious.

  
With a resigned sigh, Law grabbed the other trunk of the skateboard, allowing Luffy to pull him to his feet without invading his personal space. 

  
The teen with the baseball cap was watching him expectantly, waiting for him to answer the previous question. Law considered going with the lie about tripping and falling, just as he had exhibited, but his plan was ruined by a muffled shout from inside the house.

  
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE _OUT OF STOCK_?!” Doflamingo was yelling angrily, most likely into the phone, “TELL THEM THAT’S NOT AN OPTION, TREBOL. I NEED THE PRODUCT _NOW_.”

  
Luffy’s eyes darted to the front door, just as Law feebly mumbled, “I split my lip doing a similar stunt.”

  
“SEND DIAMANTE TO REMIND THEM WHO THEY’RE DEALING WITH,” The tall man paced past the window next to the front door, his shadowy frame smaller in the distance, “WE DON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.”

  
Bepo growled, barking loudly at the door. 

  
There was a flash of worry in Luffy’s big brown eyes darting between the house and his swollen lip. Law wished he could disappear. This was not something he ever wanted anybody to hear. No one needed to know about his stupid uncle. No one needed to hear his wrath. 

  
“He’s just caught up in his work right now…” Law mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his tattooed fingers, “Nothing to worry about.”

  
Why was he even trying to cover up for him? Was he really that pathetic, that hopeless? He knew the answer, of course. He knew that if he did anything, his uncle would threaten him with the basement, to take away his most prized possessions. Luffy wouldn’t understand the situation he had been put in. It was so much easier this way.

  
Why did he even care what Luffy thought?

  
“Hmmm,” Luffy hummed lowly, his voice jumping up to its usual chipper tone as he added, “Well, Torao, I live just a couple streets over. We should do this more often. It’s nice to have a skating buddy.”

  
Law nodded stiffly as the other boy showered his dog with more affection before taking two steps towards the entrance to the court.

  
“Hey, if you have any bands that _I_ should check out, let me know! I wanna know what Torao is into,” He shot that stupid, sunny grin and waved his arm over his head as he placed his skateboard back onto the road.

  
“Will do…” Law responded slowly, “Luffy.”

  
With his silly little snicker, he sped off down the street, turning the corner and disappearing from sight.

  
Bepo nudged his leg with his broad snout.

  
Law found that he was abnormally warm in the frigid evening air. His stomach felt funny. Not nauseous, but weird. It was the same sensation he had felt at lunch, the thing that people called “butterflies”. Not only that, but his heart was slamming against his ribs, begging for attention. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt like this. He wasn’t sure he had _ever_ felt like this. 

  
Maybe Penguin was right. Maybe he _did_ have the _smallest_ crush on his new _friend_.

  
Goddammit. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bepo bepo bepo bepo bepo
> 
> Next week: Boys' night at Luffy's house!  
> See you next Sunday <3


	8. In Too Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji is caught off guard when there is unexpected addition to 'Boys Night' at Luffy's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because who wouldn't want to hang out with these gems on a Friday night? Especially when Sanji is making the most gourmet burritos ever?!  
> (Law apparently)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! <3

Sanji shuffled his feet, his breath twisting in visible clouds in front of his face as he shivered in his thin jacket. He was used to the sight when he was smoking, but the lack of cigarette in his mouth simply told him that it was below freezing outside. It was only November 19th, so he wasn’t sure why it was so damn cold. This was, like, January weather, with the large, fluffy snowflakes tumbling from the overcast sky, melting in his hair while he waited on Luffy’s doorstep.

  
He rang the doorbell for the third time, moving the guitar case in his right hand to his left, the handle having dug into the flesh of his fingers, proving to be very uncomfortable. He rolled his shoulders as the weight of his backpack began to bother his neck. How long did it take to answer a door?!

  
There was chatter within the house, and Sanji heard roughly three bodies scrambling down the stairs just past the entry, shouting insults to each other. 

  
He heard the marimo’s voice and groaned. 

  
Of course, he knew he would be here, but it didn’t mean he was happy about it. Sanji had simply chosen to attend Luffy’s _boys night_ for Usopp, Chopper, and the Captain himself. After all, what would they eat if he wasn’t there? They would probably order some half-assed pizza from a store that didn’t even make their own dough. At least, if he was there, he could ensure they ate something nutritious _and_ delicious.

  
Chopper was the one to finally open the door, big eyes shining through his thick lenses as he squealed, “SANJI’S HERE!”

  
“FOOOOOOOOOD!!!!” He heard the demon screech in the background, and the moss-head growl something about his food not being that good anyway. He would show him, alright. 

  
The youngest member of their group stepped aside as Sanji entered the warm, brightly lit house. The long hallway contained Luffy hanging from the staircase banister, and Zoro seated next to him on one of the steps, Chopper standing in front of them and eagerly helping Sanji by taking the guitar case from him. He toed off his sneakers and shrugged off his backpack and blue denim jacket, hanging the latter on the hook by the door just like he had two years ago. It had been a while since he had been to Luffy’s house. 

  
He followed Chopper and Luffy as they rushed down the hall towards the kitchen and the living room, while Zoro retreated back upstairs. Sanji didn’t mind. He worked better without the moss-head goading him on. 

  
“We’re so hungry!” Luffy whined, crossing his arms across the grey crewneck that was entirely too big for him, “What took you so long?”

  
Chopper nodded in agreement, his frown almost comical in contrast to the happiness emanating from his magnified eyes, “Plus, we missed you!”

  
“Sorry guys,” Sanji hummed as he began to open cupboards, searching for the bowls and utensils he would need to whip up their meal, “Missed the first bus while getting the groceries.”

  
“How long will dinner be?” Luffy moaned, dramatically clutching at his stomach as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

  
Before he could even finish his sentence, Sanji sent one of the three bags of chips he had brought flying in the teen’s direction, smacking him in the face with a soft crinkle. “These will hold you over, I’ll take around 30 minutes. Is Usopp here?”

  
Chopper responded enthusiastically, “He’s upstairs playing video games! He brought his N64 so we’re playing Pokémon Stadium. I think tonight will be the night I finally beat him.” He placed both hands on his hips and clenched his jaw as he foresaw his future triumph.

  
Sanji pulled out a stainless steel frying pan and began heating it on the stove top as he retrieved a cutting board from the cupboard and placed it on the marble island in the center of the kitchen. “Cool, so I’m cooking for the five of us?” He mused as he began to wash the produce he had bought.

  
“Six,” Luffy corrected.

  
Sanji’s stomach plummeted, “Is Torao here?”

  
Luffy shook his head, a small frown gracing his features as he elaborated, “Nah, he said this is the last thing he would want to do on his Friday night.” His face brightened when he added, “Ace is hanging with us tonight.”

  
Sanji’s knife definitely _did not_ slip, nearly slicing open his thumb the slightest bit. He focused all of his attention on the tomatoes in front of him as he attempted to respond as evenly as possible, “Ah, okay. Six of us then.”

  
Chopper and Luffy ran off, mentioning that they should move the N64 to the living room which was connected to the kitchen and dining space, so Sanji could be involved in conversation while cooking. He didn’t really mind, regardless, but it was nice for the two to consider how best to include him. 

  
He took the moment of solitude to exhale slowly, rolling his neck side to side and shaking out his hands. He had to calm down. He hated the way his heart had skipped a beat at the mention of Luffy’s handsome brother, the way his breath had caught in his throat and his hands had started to shake. He had to keep it together if he was going to spend the whole night hanging out with Ace. If he let his composure slip throughout the evening and someone noticed, then he was going to have to face a bunch of questions that he didn’t quite have the answers to.

  
He had effectively avoided thinking much about the freckled man in the past couple weeks, actively repressing the images that appeared in his mind when it wandered. Why he kept thinking of Luffy’s brother, he was equal parts sure and unsure, but he didn’t necessarily want to think about it. 

  
He placed all of the fixings that he had chopped up into separate ceramic bowls, then moved on to crafting his secret mix of spices for the meat. He sliced up the chicken breasts he had purchased with practiced speed, rubbing his grainy concoction into the morsels before tossing them into his frying pan. He preheated the oven as he worked on getting a good sear on the chicken, making the bits a nice golden brown. Once the oven was ready, he tossed the pan, to which he had added some corn and jalapenos, into the heat, along with a tray of tortillas. 

  
Just as he was about to holler up the stairs that dinner was almost ready, what sounded like a stampede of elephants thundered down the steps as his idiot friends rushed downstairs. Usopp was in the lead, uttering a rushed, “Oh, hey Sanji!” before shouting “I CALLED DIBS ON WINNER! CHOPPER’S FACING ME!” He held the N64 in his hands, cords flying behind him and tangling in Luffy’s hands as he desperately tried to take the console away from the other teen. 

  
Chopper was close behind as they crashed into the living room, calling, “Luffy! I wanna fight Usopp! I’m gonna win this time!”

  
“No fair. I want a rematch. How did your stupid boulder take out my fire dragon?” Luffy pouted as Usopp began plugging cords into the large television in the center of a massive shelving unit that took up the entire wall.

  
“It’s called type advantage, Luffy. Chopper knew what he was doing,” Usopp sighed as the TV lit up with colorful, yet outdated graphics. He shot a grin at the youngest teen on the couch, adding, “I’ve taught you well, my Padawan.”

  
“You might want to wait to start this match. Dinner is rea _-dy_ ,” Sanji squeaked the last syllable as Ace rounded the corner, following Zoro. 

  
Oh my god, he was such an idiot. Be cool, Sanji. Be cool.

  
As the drummer stepped into the living room to round up the boys, Ace wandered into the kitchen, and Sanji coped with the proximity of the approaching man by turning away to pull food from the oven. He heard Luffy’s brother casually chime, “Hey, Sanji! Let me help you out.”

  
Sanji whipped around to protest the offer of assistance, and was met with the sight of Ace reaching to the tallest shelf in a cupboard, his body stretching with the effort. His navy blue sweatpants sat low on his hips, defined muscles creating that appetizing ‘V’ dipping below the waistband. The faded orange shirt that he donned had risen with his movement, revealing perfect abs covered in lightly freckled skin, as if someone had lovingly dotted the tan canvas with a fine tipped paintbrush. His muscles contracted, biceps flexing as he lifted a stack of six plates from the cupboard, and when he turned to place the flatware on the island, Sanji was sure he had caught him staring, mouth embarrassingly agape. 

  
Sanji was _definitely not_ blushing, and _certainly not_ salivating. That would be weird. That would be unacceptable. 

  
Ace grinned at him. If he had noticed Sanji admiring him, he was polite enough to ignore it, gesturing to the plates and offering, “I’ll get the utensils. Can I get you a drink while I’m at it?”

  
Sanji cleared his throat as he lowered his eyes to separating the roasted corn and jalapenos from the chicken, dividing them into bowls as he answered, “Just water is fine.”

  
“Pffft, loser,” Zoro snorted as he took a seat at the marble surface that extended into a dining table. He glared at Sanji, a challenge in his steely gaze.

  
Ace chuckled, softening Zoro’s taunt by adding, “Are you sure? We’ve got beer, we’ve got vodka, we’ve got whiskey, we’ve got… Oh shit, let’s do shots of Fireball before we eat.”

  
Ace placed six shot glasses on the island as Zoro agreed enthusiastically, ignoring Chopper’s whine as he went to retrieve the alcohol. Though he had not responded to the younger teen’s protest, Sanji did not miss how Chopper was handed a shot of clear liquid, as opposed to the amber of the cinnamon liqueur. He knew Zoro had given him cotton candy flavoured vodka instead. 

  
They gathered around the colourful display of food, lifting their glasses in synchronization.

  
“To a wicked awesome night,” Luffy cackled, clinking his shot against the others and downing the liquid in a single gulp. 

  
Sanji followed suite, mirroring the rest of the group, and winced as the sharp bitterness of the alcohol mixed with the spice of cinnamon. It wasn’t an unpleasant taste by any means, but he definitely did not want to do it again. Though, something told him he would have to, as Zoro shouted out in satisfaction and Ace chuckled at Usopp’s spluttering. 

  
They crafted their burritos and moved to the living room, Sanji curling himself up against the arm of the couch, balancing his plate on his lap. A can of beer, decorated with interesting geometric art, was placed on the side table next to him, Ace explaining, “This is a dry-hopped IPA from a local brewery. I figured you might have the refined tastebuds to actually appreciate it.”

  
Luffy shot his brother and indignant frown from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, “Ace, just because it’s _cool_ doesn’t mean it’s _good_.”

  
Ace took a seat on the couch next to Sanji, which caused him to flinch, despite the appropriate distance between them. Why was he like this? What was he doing? This was Luffy’s _brother_ , who he had met many times in the past. What had changed to make him so jumpy around the older man?

  
Not wanting to keep him waiting, Sanji lifted the decorative can to his lips, taking a deep sip of the beer.

  
His first reaction was to cringe as the extremely bitter taste assaulted his mouth, and he swallowed immediately, eager to get the substance away from his tongue. He must have made quite the face, as Ace laughed heartily and reached out a hand to pat him on the back. Sanji was glad that he could use the sharp beer as an excuse for the strangled cough that escaped his throat. 

  
“Ha! Told you so,” Luffy bragged, turning his attention back to Usopp and Chopper’s fight now that his point had been proven, “Oh! Usopp! You chose the mermaid cat!”

  
“It’s a Vaporeon,” Usopp grumbled, focused on selecting the best move to counter Chopper’s pile of gunk by the name of Muk.

  
Ace seemed unfazed by Sanji’s reaction, musing, “The first sip is always hard, but try another.”

  
Sanji was reluctant to take the second sip, though when the hoppy flavour flowed into his mouth, he was pleasantly surprised when he took in hints of grapefruit and thyme, with a floral finish. He hummed in appreciation, fighting back the flush of red that threatened to creep across his face when Ace shot him a wide grin.

  
“I knew you would like it! Nice to know I have a craft beer buddy, now,” He leaned back into the leather upholstery of the couch, kicking his feet up onto the ottoman and taking a swig out of a matching can.

  
Sanji raised his eyebrow, “Too strong for you, marimo?”

  
“As if. I can drink more of these in the time it takes me to drink one of those bricks,” Zoro scoffed from his place on the nearby armchair, shaking his bottle of Heineken, “Not worth the heaviness, if you ask me.”

  
“That’s because idiots with moss for brains don’t appreciate flavour,” Sanji barked back, prompting Zoro to narrow his eyes menacingly.

  
“I drink to drink, not to impress others with my weird ass tastebuds,” He mocked, rolling his eyes before adding, “Shitty cook.”

  
“Barbarians like you are incapable of understanding a _fine palate_ ,” Dismissing him, Sanji turned his eyes back to the television.

  
“You want to go, Curly Brow?” Zoro drawled, demanding his attention once more.

  
“Bring it, shitty drummer,” Sanji growled.

  
Ace chuckled, “Glad to see you guys are still the same,” pushing the ottoman out of the way just in time, as both teens stood, charging forward and colliding. 

  
Bringing his leg up to block a swift punch from Zoro’s right arm, Sanji pivoted on his foot and extended said leg as he spun around, attempting to slam his heel into the drummer’s side. Unfortunately, Zoro was just as quick, pushing against his shin with his forearm, applying force to the movement in an attempt to throw Sanji off balance. 

  
It didn’t work, as he switched legs faster than the eye could perceive, slamming his knee into Zoro’s abdomen. With a pained grunt, Zoro growled in determination, hooking his arm around Sanji to grab the hood of the pale blue sweater he wore. He barrelled forward, knocking Sanji down and pinning him to the ground, only to get flung off of the blond by two strong legs kicking at his torso. 

  
Luffy and Ace watched in amusement as the two snarled at each other, wrestling on the carpeted floor. Chopper and Usopp did not tear their eyes away from the television. This behaviour was too common among Sanji and Zoro to be considered interesting.

  
Although Zoro was known to be the highest athletic performer in the school, Sanji was far from an easy opponent. In fact, he had been the captain of the soccer team for the past 4 years, choosing not to participate this year due to a scheduling conflict with Pop Choir.

Though Zoro carried significantly more brawn than the lithe blond, Sanji was extremely fast and wily, using his powerful legs to counter his rival’s muscular arms. They could tussle for hours and still be evenly matched, and sparring with the drummer was often a good workout. Neither of them would ever admit that they enjoyed the fighting, though. No, that would be an entirely different kind of defeat.

  
After an hour of yelling at the television during a round of particularly tense Pokémon themed mini-games that Zoro and Ace had somehow turned into a drinking game, a bracket for another round of Stadium was drawn up, pitting Luffy against Zoro, then Usopp against Chopper once more. Ace had bowed out of the tournament, claiming that he would win against all of them anyway, and Sanji picked himself up off the couch to tidy up his mess from dinner. 

  
Tossing his finished beer into the recycling bin beneath the sink, he ran the tap, gathering the empty plates and bowls around the island as he waited for the water to warm up. As he filled the sink with soapy water, he began to wash the dishes, startling when a hand reached out to grab the wet bowl he was about place on a drying rack. 

  
Ace toweled off the flatware, placing it on the counter as he shot Sanji a cheeky grin.

  
“Oh! Um,” Sanji fumbled, “You don’t need to do that. I’ve got this.”

  
The other man shrugged, “It’s the least I can do after you made me the best burrito I’ve ever eaten.”

  
Accepting the offer and passing him another plate, he did not hold back the blush that dusted his cheeks. He loved receiving praise for his cooking, especially since he knew he was damn good. It was simply nice to know that others thought that too. 

  
“That was nothing,” Sanji grinned, “You should see what I can do with a fully stocked fridge and pantry.”

  
Ace whistled lowly, “I bet you could make a real masterpiece. A feast fit for a king, even.”

  
Sanji pushed the last bowl onto its shelf as he mused, “Or a Luffy, at least.”

  
“Clearly you don’t remember how much _I_ can eat,” Ace laughed heartily, his dark eyes glinting, “Sometimes Luffy can hardly keep up.”

  
As if on cue, there was a cry from the other room, “FOOOOOOD! SANJIIIII!”

  
Sanji grabbed the second bag of chips and chucked it across the kitchen and into the living room, landing right in front of Luffy’s feet. The teen gasped in amazement as he stared at the cook with stars in his eyes.

  
“Oi! Luffy! Pay attention. You’re getting your ass kicked and I don’t want to win just because you were distracted,” Zoro barked, thumbs slamming away on the game controller in his hands. 

  
“You know,” Sanji made sure his tone was even and unassuming as he said the next words, “I believe I accepted that challenge when I invited you to The Baratie, but you never showed.”

  
“I didn’t realize such a challenge had an expiration date,” Ace teased, “Are you only on your A-Game in early November?”

  
Sanji felt the embarrassment tickle his toes almost immediately. Of course, it had only been a couple of weeks since he had casually invited the man to swing by his restaurant. He was making it sound like he had been _waiting_ for him, and even if that had been the case, he certainly did not want it to seem that way.

  
Thankfully, Ace made a show of finishing his drink, tossing it into the recycling bin and changing the subject as he gestured to Sanji, “You need another?”

  
When he nodded, Luffy’s brother disappeared into the basement, and Sanji used the moment away from everyone to retrieve his guitar case from where Chopper had placed it by the front door. Grabbing a pad of paper from his bag, he made himself comfortable upon a stool at the kitchen island, pen in hand and guitar in his lap. He began to strum a few different chords, playing with the order in which he arranged them. 

  
He knew that the band was working on potential songs with Law whenever Sanji left for work. They had asked him if it was okay, for the sake of maximizing their time management. He had told them it was okay, though there was a part of him that screamed that he should be involved. He was the guitarist of the Straw Hats, wasn’t he? He should be writing their song along with them.

  
Humming a tuneless melody under his breath, he didn’t notice that Ace had grabbed the seat across from him until the sound of a beer can skidding across the marble surface broke him out of his trance.

  
“Whatcha working on?” 

  
Sanji wasn’t quite sure why Ace had decided to dedicate his time to him while the other four were yelling at each other about the outcome of the latest match, in what was definitely a more entertaining conversation. He considered that Ace had always had significantly better manners than Luffy, _table_ manners aside. Perhaps he had simply been taught to make sure everyone was having a good time when hosting a get together. 

  
He supposed he appreciated the attention, despite how on edge he felt around the young adult. 

  
“There’s this big Battle of the Bands coming up in June, and we need to submit an original song by February 1st,” Sanji explained, aware of the blatant disappointment in his voice as he added, “I figured I would try to write something myself, but it’s not my strong suite. Luffy brought on this kid named Law to write a song for us, though I don’t think he’s made much progress, as far as I know. ”

  
“Trafalgar?!” Ace’s eyebrows shot up, surprise sparking in his dark eyes.

  
“You know him?”

  
“No, but I know _of_ him,” Ace crossed his arms over his chest, “You do know who he is, don’t you?”

  
Sanji blinked, “Uh, he’s a 12th grader at GLI?”

  
He shook his head, “No, I mean… Okay, have you heard of Corazon?”

  
“That’s the guy from that grunge band, right?”

  
“Exactly, and his home town is right here in Sabaody. Rumour has it that he had an adopted son named Trafalgar Law. He references him in a bunch of songs. If you look at the lyric books, sometimes the word ‘law’ is capitalized as if he’s referring to a person. I wonder if it’s the same guy. I mean, it can’t be that common of a name…” Ace’s eyes glazed over for a moment before flashing with angered concern, “Hold up, is this the _Torao_ that Luffy keeps going on about?!”

  
Writing off this new potential information as Ace simply fanboying over one of his favourite bands (that he would _definitely_ not check out later in order to have a conversation starter next time he encountered Luffy’s brother), Sanji nodded in response to the question. He couldn’t ignore the way his stomach plummeted once again as he asked quietly, “Luffy talks about him a lot, eh?”

  
“Yeah, all the time, almost makes me wonder…” Ace trailed off, his gaze fixed on his younger brother, who was currently howling, clutching at his stomach and rolling on the ground as Zoro looked thoroughly unimpressed. The screen read that Luffy had completely destroyed him in their match, which was truly unfortunate, since the Straw Hat frontman didn’t even know the names of the Pocket Monsters. 

  
“Hmm?” Sanji hummed, not sure where Ace’s head was at.

  
“Do you think he knows how it comes off?” He asked, turning his attention back to Sanji as the four in the living room chattered away while they set up for the next round.

  
“I doubt it,” Sanji shook his head, “It’s _Luffy_. Is he even capable of being attracted to somebody?”

  
Ace shrugged, “I don’t see why not. I mean, we’ve never really talked about it, and he’s never really shown interest in anybody before, regardless of gender, but maybe this guy is an exception for him.”

  
“I honestly always assumed he was asexual,” Sanji admitted, absently strumming on his guitar.

  
Nodding, the other man mused, “Doesn’t mean he’s aromantic, though.”

  
Sanji thought for a moment before chuckling, “Or maybe we’re putting way too much thought into this, and he’s just really excited about a new friend.”

  
“You’re right,” Ace tried to set his lips into an easy smile, but there was a certain tightness in his cheeks, “It’s just… I can’t help but worry about the kid, you know? I’m his big brother. I need to be ready to kick this guy’s ass if he breaks his heart.”

  
“I’ve seen you and Sabo get thrown out of a show for winning a bar fight against 8 bikers. I think you can handle a scrawny teenager,” Sanji fought against the butterflies that tickled his insides as he remembered the way Ace had stood up for their band, eyes alight with the fire of a fight. He supposed he had always been handsome. How had he not noticed it before? He answered himself immediately by remembering that he had been flirting with Nami at the merch table throughout most of the altercation. 

  
“At least _I_ don’t have to be in the same room with them as they do that awkward ‘will they, won’t they’ dance,” Ace took a swig of his drink, standing to grab something from a cupboard.

  
Sanji stopped his strumming and groaned, “Oh my god, you should see Robin and the green-haired dumbass. It’s getting painful at this point. Why such an intelligent, beautiful woman is interested in that brute, I’ll never know.”

  
A shot of Fireball was plopped down in front of him, and he looked up to see a freckled face smiling cheekily at him. It was a grin not unlike Luffy’s, as bright as the sun, and Sanji felt his insides complete a gymnastics routine worthy of an Olympic gold medal. Why was he like this? So embarrassing.

  
They clinked their glasses together, downing the amber liquid, and Sanji quickly chased the cinnamon whiskey with a swig of the IPA, grimacing as the two vastly different flavours collided in his mouth. 

  
Ace snickered at him, returning to his seat across the island. Sanji felt his eyes on him as he turned his attention back to his guitar, a heat pooling in his chest that was making him wildly uncomfortable.

  
After a moment of silence, Ace asked, “What about you? You got your eye on any intelligent, beautiful women?”

  
He nearly forgot how to breathe.

  
There it was, the veiled question he had been dreading. 

  
His heart, which had already been working overtime, kicked into third gear, slamming against his chest as he contemplated how best to answer. He didn’t want to admit it outright. He wasn’t ready for that. Besides, what if the four in the living room overheard? What if they judged him? Though, could they ever judge him more than he judged himself?

  
But… He really didn’t want to lie to the one person who kept recurring in his dreams. If he answered as expected, then he would be closing the door on many possible outcomes of the conversation that were far more desirable.

  
Deciding to respond with an equally masked answer, he spoke slowly, “I don’t have my eye on any particular… woman.”

  
He did not miss the flash of understanding in the other man’s dark eyes. Ace nodded slowly, an encouraging grin creeping across his lips. Sanji noticed how the freckles faded away to perfectly sculpted pink lips, and he was sure his face was red as the tomatoes he had previously chopped, as he wasn’t able to stop himself from wondering how they would feel pressed against his. 

  
Ace did not seemed fazed by Sanji blatantly staring at his mouth, instead reaching out an open palm across the counter top.

  
When Sanji tilted his head to the side in a silent question, he beckoned with his fingers, explaining, “Give me your phone.”

  
Adjusting the guitar in his lap, he tugged his cell out of the front pocket of his black jeans, unlocking it and placing it in the waiting hand.

  
His fingers grazed the flesh of Ace’s palm, causing his heart to hiccup and his stomach to somersault. He was so _warm._

  
Making quick work of entering his contact information, Ace placed the phone back into Sanji’s hand, brushing his fingers against Sanji’s skin this time, and the blond was certain that it was on purpose. He felt as if he was being burned alive, and he knew that all visible skin was flushed a bright pink. Oh god, he probably looked like an idiot. 

  
“You know,” Ace had lowered his voice to ensure no one overheard them, “I went through the same thing a couple years ago.”

  
Sanji blinked, mouth opening and closing like a dumbass who couldn’t formulate the right words.

  
“If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always here,” Ace offered, his eyes melting into pools of pure kindness, “I know you work weird hours, but the narcolepsy messes with my sleep anyway. Even if it’s late, hit me up if you want to chat.”

  
The smile that crept across Sanji’s face was the most genuine one he had flashed in a while, and he didn’t even care that he felt entirely too vulnerable, too exposed. Part of him was angry with himself for admitting something he didn’t want to believe for so long, while the other part of him revelled in finding someone who understood, someone who was offering help in the form of sympathetic companionship. 

  
Someone who was also unbelievably handsome, but Sanji shushed his inner monologue pretty quickly when that word popped up.

  
Ace stood, lifting a large hand and running it through his wavy black hair, calling, “Alright guys, 30 minutes before gramps gets home from the PTA meeting. He only agreed to this if you were all out by the time he got home. Old man needs his beauty sleep, you know?”

  
Luffy whined, “Ugh, would it kill him to give us another hour?”

  
“I dare you to ask him that,” Ace grinned, “Go on. Do it.”

  
Luffy pulled out his phone, firing off a swift text that received an answer almost immediately. He looked up at his older brother with wide eyes, snickering, “He say I’ll have to answer to his Fists of Love.”

  
Sanji remembered the first time Luffy had told them about his grandfather, the Vice Principal of Grand Line Institute. They had all been concerned for the poor kid, as the stories that Luffy spewed were certainly far from humane, or appropriate tactics for raising a child. Sanji had been particularly distressed when Luffy had shared the time that Garp had left himself, Ace, and Sabo stranded in the middle of the forest when he had promised to take them fishing. That had to be reason to call Child Protective Services, right? 

  
Though, Luffy never seemed scared of Garp, never shied away from contact with the man, and had a habit of laughing at his threats. Once they had actually met the old man, they had realized that he was all bark and no bite, that he loved his grandsons more than anything else, even if he spoke otherwise. Of course, that didn’t mean that he didn’t terrify _them._ If Garp wanted them gone in thirty minutes, they would be gone in thirty minutes.

  
Chopper and Usopp challenged each other to one last battle, while Zoro grumbled something incomprehensible as he sipped from what looked to be his 10th beer. Sanji felt irritation surge through him as he realized he would have to take the bus home with the moss-head. They lived a street away, after all, and as much as he disliked the marimo, he wouldn’t just abandon him after he had drank that much, even if he had an obscenely high alcohol tolerance. 

  
After they had packed their stuff up, pulled on their jackets and said their goodbyes, Sanji waited by the bus stop with Zoro at his side. Dr. Kureha had picked up Chopper, and had offered to drive Usopp home as he lived in the same direction, but they hadn’t been so lucky. The snow had picked up, dusting them with thick snowflakes as they shuffled their way through 10 centimeters of powder on the ground. The lamplight turned their surroundings yellow, their shadows just as far apart as the teens themselves.

  
They even chose to sit at opposite ends of the bus, though Sanji knew that he would have done that with Luffy too. It wasn’t real animosity that made them sit apart, it was a simple need to claim the whole vehicle as their own. When given the opportunity of riding a completely empty bus, one had to take advantage of it. 

  
As the bus rocked down the street, Sanji leaned his shoulder against the window, staring out at what was swiftly becoming a winter wonderland. He thought absently of the chords he had been fiddling with while talking to Ace. He didn’t think he had anything substantial yet, but he could keep messing around with the base idea when he got home…

  
He had left his guitar at Luffy’s.

  
Damn.

  
Pulling out his phone, he immediately pulled up Ace’s contact info, smiling when he saw the name the man had keyed in for himself.

  * 10:28pm – **sanji**  
_Hey, it’s Sanji. I left my guitar there. Can you please leave it by the front door so Luffy remembers to bring it to school tomorrow?_



_Luffy._

  
Why hadn’t he just texted Luffy?

  
What was he doing?

  
He quickly sent off another message.

  * 10:29pm – **sanji**  
_I don’t trust that Luffy isn’t in a food coma by now 😅_



He decided to kill time as he anxiously waited for a response by glaring daggers into the marimo’s thick head of minty spikes. It was so strange that his hair naturally grew that way. It was probably worth some investigation. Maybe he could convince the school to offer a scholarship to whoever could crack the case of Roronoa Zoro’s naturally green hair.

  
His phone vibrated.

Sanji panicked. What if Ace was telling him to leave him alone already? What if the act of kindness had been a façade? What if he thought Sanji was just a blubbering idiot with a stupid crush and had been taking pity on him earlier?

  
He nearly closed his eyes to avoid looking at the screen as he unlocked his cell.

  * 10:35pm – **fireball**  
_Good call, he’s already asleep. I’ll make sure he brings it Monday morning. Wouldn’t want a guitarist without his guitar, would we?_



  * 10:37pm – **sanji**  
_Thank you. I appreciate your use of full sentences._



  * 10:39pm – **fireball**  
_Trying to make a good impression over here 😉_



  * 10:50pm – **fireball**  
_Home safe?_



  * 10:55pm – **sanji**  
_Just got in 👍_



  * 11:00pm – **fireball**  
_Sick. Thanks again for dinner. Have a goodnight, Sanji._



  * 11:00pm – **fireball**  
_Don’t be a stranger._



When Zeff asked Sanji why he was smiling at his phone, he refused to answer. Zeff grumbled something about stupid boys chasing after women who were too good for them, and Sanji didn’t bother to correct him. He didn’t feel like worrying about all the details right now.

  
As he drifted off to sleep, his cheeks hurt from smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ace just wants Sanji to be comfortable in his own skin.
> 
> There were some tricky parts to write in this chapter. Please please PLEASE let me know if anything I've written can be perceived as offensive - that was definitely not my intention!
> 
> Next chapter: Zoro finds himself at Robin's work as she closes up shop.
> 
> Thank you for reading <3  
> See you next sunday!


	9. This Is For Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro stumbles into Robin's workplace on a Saturday Night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday!
> 
> Hope you're all ready for some awkward teenaged Zoro because I am! Lots of ZoRobin up ahead!!! Finally some action! Woo!  
> Title is a Motion City Soundtrack song.  
> Hope you all enjoy <3

Zoro felt a surge of endorphins manifesting in immense pride and pure joy as his name was announced as the winner of the tournament. 

  
The polite smattering of applause echoed around the high ceilings of the brightly lit gymnasium of some local recreational center, bringing Zoro’s attention to the various banners that hung from the rafters. They were stained from age and far from extravagant, though he couldn’t help but hope to see his name stitched into the thick fabric one day. He wasn’t sure what sort of kendo competition he had to win to get that, but dammit, he was going to _try_.

  
His opponent marched up to him, head bowed and hand jutted out in a gesture of sportsmanship. The other man in his age group looked stiff and uncomfortable, clearly upset that he lost, and Zoro found he was surprisingly disappointed by the teen’s reaction. He had expected the skilled swordsman to see the loss as a motivator to become better, but this guy looked, well, defeated. How unfortunate. 

  
“Good match,” Zoro muttered, shaking the outstretched hand and freeing his opponent to scurry away from the prying eyes of the audience.

  
“ZORO! YOU’RE SO COOL!” 

  
Luffy’s wiry body slammed into his chest the moment Zoro stepped out of the men’s change room, limbs wrapping around his torso and holding him in a vice grip. He grunted in surprise by the sudden ambush. He hadn’t noticed that his friend had attended the match in the first place. Luffy hadn’t mentioned that he’d be cheering him on today when they were at his place last night.

  
“Yow! Zoro bro!” A familiar head of electric blue hair emerged from the mass of people flooding the hallways of the rec centre, “You should try holding your sword in your mouth! You know, like your drumsticks!”

"Already been working on it," Zoro bragged with the little breath that hadn't been knocked out of him.

  
“That might be more excitement than my old heart can take!” Brook strutted over with Franky just as Zoro was prying Luffy’s fingers from around his waist. “In a couple of years, I won’t even have a heart! Yo ho ho ho!” The elderly man chuckled, much to the horror of those surrounding him.

  
They stared at him with wide eyes, concern evident across their faces.

  
“I’m donating my body to science,” He added, shrugging nonchalantly, “And you can never be too certain when you’re going to kick the bucket, my dear friends.”

  
“Geez Brook, bro, that’s too morbid,” Franky shook his head, the ghost of fear still evident in his features.

  
Luffy nodded, “You sound like Robin.”

  
_Robin_. Just the mention of her name made Zoro’s heart pound faster, replacing the blood that had rushed from his face at Brook’s startling declaration. 

  
“What’s with the blush? Your boyfriend holding you too tight?"

  
“Argh, Kuina! Luffy is not my boyfriend!” He snarled, attempting to squirm out of Luffy’s _extremely persistent_ grasp as the latter blabbered on to Brook and Franky about how many neat things he could do if he had a sword. 

  
“No? Oh, wait,” The she-devil herself smirked, “That’s the blond with the swirly eyebrows. My bad.”

  
“I WILL CUT YOU UP!” He screeched, falling for her taunt and clawing at Luffy’s arms in an attempt to free himself.

  
His older sister was sauntering past him, a teasing glint in her dark eyes as she folded her hands behind her head of navy blue hair, trying to look as casual and relaxed as possible. She chuckled at his outburst, drawling, “As if you’ll ever get the chance. You’re lucky your opponent today was a weakling; your form was a mess.”

  
By the time Zoro freed himself from Luffy’s surprisingly flexible frame, Kuina was already by the entrance to the building, eyeing their car in the parking lot. 

  
He took two steps forward, shouting, “JUST YOU WAIT! I’LL BEAT YOU! NEXT MONTH! I’LL WIN – ”

  
The exclamation was cut off as Koushiro laid a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder, soothing, “Now, now, Zoro. Don’t let your sister get under your skin. She’s simply excited to fight a competent rival.”

  
Zoro shot a frustrated look at the tall man who had now turned to greet Brook, Franky, and Luffy, before turning his attention back to the cackling woman by the front door. She narrowed her eyes menacingly at him, dragging her thumb across her neck in a threatening motion while she giggled through her forced frown. 

  
He was definitely going to kick her ass at their co-ed tournament in December. 

  
“Zoro,” Luffy whined (for absolutely no reason as he had yet to request anything that could be turned down), “Let’s go back to the jam space with Brook and Franky!”

  
Franky nodded enthusiastically, “That sounds _SUPER_! You kids can listen to us adults play some tunes for once.”

  
“Hmmm,” Brook hummed, clearly intrigued by the idea, “It certainly has been some time since my boney fingers have had the honour of playing an electric guitar.”

  
“And there’s loads of beer!” Luffy exclaimed, right before Franky’s hand clamped down on his mouth.

  
“Root beer,” Franky clarified, smiling in feigned innocence at Koushiro.

  
An easy chuckle escaped the other man’s lips, “Very well then, Zoro. Mr. Franky, Mr. Brook, Luffy,” He nodded to each of them in turn, “As always, it was a pleasure to see you. Thank you for continuing to support Zoro through his studies of the sword.”

  
His glasses glinted dangerously as he peered down at his son. He spoke softly, though with a stern edge, “Be safe, and please remember you have classes to teach tomorrow.” 

  
Zoro grunted in affirmation, aware that his father really didn’t give a damn if he drank, as long as he showed up functional for work tomorrow. 

  
With a parting wave, the tall, graceful man made his way towards Kuina, ushering her through the door as she hollered, “LAST ONE TO THE DOJO TOMORROW IS A ROTTEN EGG!”

  
“WE TAKE THE SAME CAR, IDIOT!” He called back, ignoring the concerned glares from passers by. 

  
The look on her face told him that that wasn’t necessarily the case, as she was the driver, and could do as she pleased. Something told him that if he wasn’t waiting in the driveway fifteen minutes before they had to leave, he would be jogging to work in the morning.

  
“Your sister is quite feisty,” Brook observed, thrumming his skeletal fingers against his hip.

  
“She’s the devil, that’s what she is,” Zoro grumbled, throwing his bag over his shoulder and following Franky’s lead as they made their way to the parking lot.

  
“I thought Nami was the devil?” Luffy asked, skipping alongside him. 

  
“She is, too,” He muttered as he slid into the backseat of Franky’s bright red SUV, that was covered in various stickers and decals, one of which marked the vehicle as BF-37 – whatever that meant.

  
“Miss Nami does an awful lot for you boys,” Brook chided, as Franky murmured an agreement.

  
“Hey, Brook, how much debt are you in from her gambling ring?” Zoro asked bluntly.

  
“Very well,” The musician blanched, “Perhaps she is not completely innocent.”

  
As they hopped out of the vehicle upon arriving at their destination, they unlocked the door to the jam space and quickly made themselves comfortable. Brook asked Luffy’s permission to use his telecaster, and when the teen granted it enthusiastically, the older man began to absently strum the instrument. Franky was quick to pass out a round of beers, slamming a bottle of whiskey down on the coffee table with a hearty chuckle. 

  
So it was going to be _that_ kind of night.

  
As Zoro unscrewed the cap of the amber liquid on the table ahead of him, taking the first of many swigs and passing it to Franky, Luffy chirped, “Are all girls devils?”

  
“Yo ho ho!” Brook laughed over the twang on guitar strings, “You’re lucky Mr. Sanji isn’t here to hear that.”

  
“Yes, they are,” Zoro grumbled, watching as Luffy kicked his heels against the back of the couch from where he perched on the top of the frame, “You have to be careful with them, Luf.”

  
“Easy now, kiddo,” Franky frowned as he picked up a stray acoustic guitar, sitting down on the top of Sanji’s amplifier. He was facing Brook now, and the two began some jazzy improvisation. “What about Robin?” He added, pumping his eyebrows suggestively.

  
Zoro could feel his stupid cheeks betraying him, though he insisted, “Anyone who’s _that smart_ is a devil.”

  
“But that’s why you like her, right?” Luffy was rocking back and forth on the edge of the couch, bobbing his head in time with the sweet melody Franky and Brook were playing.

  
“I-I don’t like her!” Zoro’s face was burning, “She’s just really cool and we get along well and that’s it. Rhythm section’s got to stick together, you know?”

  
“Sure buddy,” Franky chuckled, winking as he lifted his gaze from the instrument in his hands, “What if I told you that she thinks you’re pretty cool, too?”

  
“She… she does?” His throat felt so dry. The swig of beer was not as satisfying as he had hoped.

  
“Careful, young Zoro,” Brook sang softly, “Dating a bandmate is not exactly the easiest relationship in the world.”

  
“Did you date a bandmate?” Luffy inquired, eyes fixed on the red telecaster that wept beneath the elderly man’s nimble fingers.

  
Brook’s afro bobbed as he shook his head, “I had the pleasure of witnessing a rather monumental tiff between a couple with whom I often performed. It was as though built up resentment burst through the surface like a geyser. Their group split up shortly thereafter.”

  
Luffy frowned, fixing his best friend with a hard stare, “Don’t break us up, Zoro.”

  
Running a hand over his feverish face, Zoro groaned in exasperation, “Yeah, yeah, I won’t. Don’t worry.”

  
“Not up for the challenge, Zoro bro?” Franky teased, fully aware that he was pushing all of his friend’s buttons. 

  
A swordsman never backed down from a fight.

  
He opened his mouth to protest, just as Brook chimed, “Please do enlighten me with an in depth description of Miss Robin’s panties, if you ever see them.”

  
Zoro bit down on his tongue. _Hard_. He growled a mix of pain, frustration, and humiliation as a litany of curse words sprung to the front of his mind. He tried to think of a witty comeback, of something dry and dark and funny, of something Robin would say. Then, after realizing that he was once again thinking of the pretty bassist, his mind emptied of any potential lines and the best he could manage was a snarl of, “Fuck off.”

  
Luffy was snickering, watching the flushed and flustered drummer with amusement before his big, dark eyes clouded over. He looked around the room with a rare pensive expression before musing, “So girls being devils are a good thing?”

  
Franky cocked his head to the side, “Well, they’re not actual devils, buddy. It’s more of a term of endearment –” He paused to shoot a warning glance at Zoro as the latter snorted and muttered something about his sister under his breath, “ – for the things we like about them, but pretend that we don’t.”

  
Brook nodded, “Like Miss Nami’s proclivity for money. We may all owe her, which can be a pain at times, but she has also proven to be fiscally brilliant in her management role, which has saved your band many a pretty penny.”

  
“Oh, like how Zoro actually likes having Kuina as a rival?” Luffy grinned.

  
“I do not,” Zoro grunted, reaching for his beer.

  
“You got it, dude,” Franky laughed heartily, repeating his words in a sing song voice as he strummed along.

  
“Can boys be devils too?” Luffy posed, brow furrowed as if he was thinking too hard.

  
“Well, duh,” Zoro muttered, “Like right now. Your endless curiosity makes you a devil in my book.”

  
“So if boys like devilish girls, can boys like devilish boys?”

  
“Okay, okay, hold on,” Franky threw his hands up, the twang of the acoustic guitar halting abruptly. Brook followed his lead, watching Luffy with interest. “I think this devil simile or whatever has gone off the rails,” The mechanic added, “Let’s break this down.”

  
“Luffy, are you asking if boys can like other boys the way Zoro likes Robin?” Brook spoke bluntly, which was realistically the best way to talk to the teen. It was no wonder he was such a good teacher.

  
Luffy waved his hand in a casual gesture as he chirped, “No, I know that. Ace likes boys and that’s totally normal.”

  
Zoro’s brow furrowed as he downed the rest of his beer. Ace was gay? This was common knowledge? What else was he missing if he was so oblivious? Did Robin actually really like him back? There was a part of him that had worried that the other weekend in the band van had been post-show endorphins, a spur of the moment thing. Though, if he really was unaware of these sorts of things, maybe Franky wasn’t just teasing him when he said that Robin returned his feelings?

  
“I mean, like, are you more likely to like people that do things you don’t like?” Luffy stared intently at the two older men, eager for answers.

  
“I’m afraid I don’t follow, Luffy,” Brook frowned, “There is no set pattern or equation that determines whether or not you develop feelings for another person. Some people are more drawn to those who hold similar personalities, values, beliefs and interests to themselves, while others argue that opposites attract. Regardless, there is usually some sort of underlying connection that they can agree on.”

  
“And ‘things you don’t like’ is vague, little dude,” Franky added, “You don’t like murder, do you?”

  
Luffy scrunched his nose in disgust, “No, that’s terrible.” He was quiet for a moment, and then, just as Brook and Franky prepared to continue playing their guitars, he chimed, “I don’t like that Torao doesn’t want to be happy.”

  
Zoro could not have grabbed the whiskey bottle any faster. Beer was not going to be enough for this conversation.

  
“Luffy, do you like Mr. Law?” Brook asked in a level voice, trying his hardest not to betray any emotion in his words.

  
This was weird. This was _Luffy_. Luffy didn’t express interest in girls or boys. Luffy wasn’t attracted to anybody.

  
Well, it wasn’t as if they had ever really discussed it though, had they? They had always just assumed. They had had plenty of ‘boys nights’ where they had talked about girls, and Luffy had never chimed in. They had discussed private matters that they partook in, in the dark privacy of their bedrooms or bathrooms or showers, and Luffy had never participated in the conversation. They had shared links to certain _websites_ , commented on physical attributes that they appreciated in the opposite sex, and Luffy would simply listen, snickering when he found a word particularly amusing. 

  
Had he never talked to them because he was interested in men? No, Zoro refused to believe that would be the case. Luffy should know that his friends would never bat an eye at his preferences. They had simply assumed he wasn’t physically attracted to others, and they had accepted that without any judgment. To each their own, right?

  
Was Luffy about to tell them that he was sexually attracted to somebody? To _Law_?

  
“Huh? Of course I like Torao. He’s my friend,” The teen shot a wide smile at his friends.

  
Nope, Zoro knew better that to guess that Luffy had lost track of the conversation. He was smarter than that. He had an unnerving ability to be just as perceptive as Robin. This was avoidance. Luffy didn’t want to answer the question and was pretending like he didn’t understand, even though moments ago he had fully followed the conversation of ‘liking’ people. 

  
Perhaps he did have feelings for Law. Perhaps he didn’t. Perhaps he didn’t know how he felt.

  
Regardless, this was Luffy’s business, and his best friend was subtly telling them to back off. 

  
“So Brook,” Zoro tried to bring up the first potentially controversial topic in order to divert attention from the teen hanging off the edge of the couch, “What’s with this panties thing?”

  
He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. Although he was pretty accustomed to his less than professional friendship with his music teacher, the details of the older man’s panty fetish did not need to be on his mind when he was trying to pay attention in his class on Monday. He couldn’t slip up at any point in third period. Curly brow and his stupid clarinet would mock him for the rest of the day.

  
Three beers and a couple swigs of whiskey later, Zoro found himself behind the drum kit, trying his best to keep a steady beat going despite his head spinning. It wasn’t like he was super drunk – no, he could handle his booze – but he could certainly feel the warming effects of the liquor creeping through his body, turning his vision the slightest bit fuzzy. 

  
The old timers were howling nonsensical words into the microphones, guitars wailing at their waists, and Luffy was plucking away on Robin’s bass, cackling at the impromptu scatting competition that Brook had started. 

  
The elderly man raised his hand with a flourish, a gesture that they all knew meant to end their little song.

  
“ _Zip de da ba da buh da ba bah,_ ” Brook trilled, before breathing lowly into the mic, “Yeah, that’s _soul_ , baby.”

  
Franky hollered his trademark “ _SUPER_!” while Luffy insisted that they start with a new progression. Zoro checked his phone. It was just past 9 o’clock, which meant it was time for him to go home. He had to be up bright and early, after all. 

  
Ignoring Luffy’s protests, he wished his companions a goodnight and thanked his favourite mechanic for the alcohol before sauntering out of the jam space and heading towards the closest bus stop. 

  
The November night was chilled and quiet, the sub-zero breeze soft and welcome against his warm skin. He tugged his beanie lower on his head, pulled his dark green scarf a little tighter, and shoved his hands in the silk lined pockets of his charcoal pea coat. Nami had convinced him to buy it. She said it made him look “smart”.

  
He hoped Robin thought the same.

  
The snow from yesterday was still white and fluffy. It would be gross and grey and slushy by Monday, he was sure of it, but in the meantime, it looked rather pretty. The mounds of crystalline snowflakes sparkled like diamonds beneath the streetlights, bordering the shoveled sidewalks and guiding Zoro along in the right direction. At least, he had thought it was the right way, until he had found himself in front of a familiar storefront that he was positive was in the opposite direction.

  
The door to _Lily Carnation_ opened with the jingle of a small bell as a customer exited the brightly lit store, hands full with a neatly packaged bouquet wrapped in decorative paper. Zoro couldn’t believe a flower shop was open this late. 

  
He lingered by the shop window for a moment, admiring the various succulents and houseplants on display. They were already potted in finely painted ceramics that looked hand crafted, ranging from square and monochromatic, to curved and with a swirly pattern. The twinkling string lights that hung above the floral display were inviting, and the deep green of the walls coupled with the mass amount of plants adorning every corner of the shop made it feel as though one was walking into a forest fairy’s paradise. 

  
He hesitated. The attendant must have left the counter before the customer had left, as they were nowhere to be seen. As it was a Saturday night, he knew it was either Perona or Robin working, for they were the two managers who frequently closed up shop on the weekends. He hoped it was Robin, but he supposed he could manage some light small talk with Perona. Thus, what was stopping him from dropping by? Was it so odd if he came inside for a little bit?

  
He entered the floral wonderland just as Robin exited the back room, beautiful blue eyes turning in the direction of the chiming bell.

  
“Zoro?” She smiled politely as she slid behind the counter, “I didn’t expect to see you here today… Or, ever, for that matter.” She laughed that stunning giggle that turned his knees to jelly and made his heart race faster. It reminded him of bird song.

  
“I was walking home and, uh, I saw you were still open. Figured I would check to see if you were in tonight,” He tried to shrug nonchalantly, hoping that she didn’t notice the way his body trembled.

  
He was just shivering from the cold. She would buy that, right?

  
There was a flash of confusion across her porcelain features, “Walking home from the jam space, I presume?”

  
When he nodded, she hummed in amusement, “I was under the impression that your house is in the opposite direction.”

  
Zoro groaned, “I turned right and followed a straight path here.”

  
“Ah, yes, but if you did that, you wouldn’t be here right now. Is it possible you actually went left?” Her gaze had turned sympathetic, and she leaned forward, resting her arms on the counter and her chin in her hands. 

  
“Whatever,” He grumbled, quickly looking to change the subject, “It’s a good thing you’ve been at work. Brook and Franky got into this weird blues scat fusion and it was far from quiet.”

  
Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she grinned, “Sounds quite lovely, actually. Brook has quite the ear for uncommon genres.”

  
Zoro eyed the little bonsai tree positioned next to the cash register. He kept his eyes fixed on the hundreds of tiny leaves as he muttered, “Guess you’ll just have to teach my how to appreciate his taste.”

  
“He’s a skilled musician with a flare for the extravagant. When you listen to anything he comes up with the expectation that the unexpected could happen at any moment, it makes for quite a wild musical journey,” Robin pondered. He could feel her watching every twitch of muscle in his face, in his fingers as he tentatively reached out to touch the little flower that had bloomed at the end of one of the miniature tree’s branches “After all, you can’t argue that he does, as he says…”

  
“…Play with _soul_ ,” Zoro grinned and completed the sentence along with her.

  
She giggled, waving her hands with flourish and speaking goofily in a terrible impression of her old music teacher, “It’s all about the _soul_ , Mr. Zoro! Now, would you be so kind as to show me your panties?”

  
Zoro laughed so hard that he stumbled backwards, his balance temporarily lost as he focused instead on the pretty woman across the counter. He swayed on the spot, dopey grin across his face as he reoriented himself.

  
Robin cocked an eyebrow, “Which bottle did Franky open?”

  
“Crown Royal.”

  
“Whiskey, eh?” She mused, “I had gotten him that rather expensive batch for Christmas last year. I was hoping to taste some of it.”

  
He was so tempted to tell her she could taste it on his lips if she so pleased, but thankfully he was nowhere near drunk enough to say something so gutsy and just… lame.

  
“Who was at the jam space?” She asked, turning away from him and typing something into the computer nestled next to the cash register.

  
“Just me, Luf, Franky, and Brook,” He responded, voice slightly muffled by his scarf blocking his mouth as he bent down to examine a potted palm tree… or at least, something that resembled a potted palm tree.

  
“Oh, of course, after your tournament!” There was a flash of guilt in her almond eyes, “How was it? I wanted to attend as well, but I got called into work early. Luffy had texted me about it.”

  
He brushed her off with a clumsy wave of his hand, “It’s all good. I won, anyway.” He made a mental note to thank Luffy later. He truly was such a perceptive friend. 

  
“Congratulations!”

  
“If I had lost, then it would have been your fault, though,” He grinned, shooting her a wink over his shoulder as he perused the various flowers used to make up bouquets. 

  
Did he just wink? Damn, maybe he was more buzzed than he thought. His eyes lingered on deep purple petals that reminded him of her bass guitar, of the way her dark hair shone in the spotlight of the stage.

  
“And why’s that? I’ve heard that you are an excellent swordsman,” There was the click clacking of more typing as she multitasked.

  
“I am,” He answered smugly, “But I’m sure I would be even better if I was trying to impress someone.”

  
She laughed loudly at that, smirking, “I’m sure I would be very impressed by your swordsmanship, Zoro.”

  
He let his fingers run over a particularly smooth leaf sprouting from the base of a tall flower. It was a pale peach colour, resembling the flush of colour on her cheekbones that glimmered in the soft store light.

  
“Hey,” He spoke suddenly, and without thinking, “Y’know a lot about impressing people with flowers, don’t you?”

  
Robin’s typing stopped as she looked at him, blinking slowly, “Why, of course. That is my job.”

  
Zoro leaned against the counter, staring intensely at the brilliant woman across from him. He probably wouldn’t have met her gaze so extremely had he been completely sober, but his light buzz was fueling the courageous fire that roared in his gut. “Can you help me put together a bouquet?” He asked, his voice low and serious.

  
She seemed a little a caught off guard, and he couldn’t help notice the way her slender fingers trembled as she pulled out the brown parchment base of the wrap, laying it on the stainless steel counter. “What are you trying to tell this person?” She asked. Her voice sounded oddly tight.

  
“That I like them… Like, _like_ like them,” He muttered, his cheeks flaring immediately. He could feel the heat of blood rushing along the shells of his ears. He was 19 years old, and yet here he was, bashfully trying to talk to his friend that he just happened to have a crush on, struggling over words like he was 12. 

  
“So you’re trying to express romantic intent?” She asked briskly, and though Zoro found the lack of eye contact strange, he was grateful that she couldn’t see how red he was. 

  
He grumbled an affirmation, and she turned her back to him, staring at the copious amounts of freshly cut flowers in little bins behind the counter. “Let’s see, red roses are often used to express love, though I must admit that they are awfully overrated. Besides, why would you want to prick your love interest with thorns?” She laughed, though he could hear that it was humourless.

  
“What palette were you considering?” She asked, tapping her fingers against her jaw. Zoro wondered if she was trying to keep them active to ignore the way they trembled. He supposed the store must be rather cold, and he was lucky enough to be bundled up in his jacket. Her grey turtleneck didn’t look overly warm, though it did look quite cute with her dark hair brushing her shoulders.

  
“White and purple, maybe?” He shrugged.

  
She muttered to herself, before getting to work. She worked swiftly, explaining each flower choice as she began building the custom bouquet. “It’s best practice to find your accent flower first, and then build your base around it. We’ll start with some gladiolus flowers,” She placed several thin stems decorated with pointed, ruffled petals in a deep shade of violet on the paper, “They represent many things, including infatuation. I hope you agree that they are perfect for your object of admiration, as their name comes from the Latin term _gladius_ , meaning “sword”, thus some people also refer to the gladiolus as the sword-lily. To give someone a gladiolus is to say that they’ve “pierced your heart,” due to their pointed shape.”

  
He grinned toothily, murmuring, “Yeah, that’s perfect.”

  
Nodding brusquely, she placed some smaller lavender flowers, as well as some pretty white petals, next to the magnificent gladioli, explaining, “We’ll add some bellflowers and white camellias to represent affection and everlasting love.” She paused for a moment, admiring her work before snatching a handful of tiny ivory florets, and something that just looked like fancy grass, “And we’ll fill it out with simple baby’s breath and deep greens.”

  
“It looks great,” Zoro praised, devoting all of his attention to watching her nimble fingers deftly wrap the florals in a simple, transparent sheet. She tied a deep purple ribbon around the base, speaking softly and refusing to lift her eyes from the bow she was trying to perfect, “May I ask who you are gifting this bouquet to, Zoro? They must be awfully special.”

  
“Yeah,” He breathed, his fingers grazing against hers as he received the bouquet from her hands, “They’re for the coolest girl I know.”

  
“Wow, how lovely. Well, good luck,” She smiled tightly, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which were swimming with her typically guarded thoughts on clear display. She was trying to put on a calm and attentive façade, but there was sorrow threatening to break through the wall she had put up.

  
Zoro realized – with a painful pang of his heart against his ribs – that she didn’t realize he was talking about her.

  
Well, that wouldn’t do, would it?

  
He paid for the flowers, stewing in the awkward silence that had fallen between the two of them. He couldn’t hesitate anymore. It was time to act. He could do this. He had already made it this far, and if he walked out that door without giving her the bouquet, he would look like a prize asshole. 

  
Robin went to turn away from him, to continue typing on the computer. He was sure that she was about to start closing up for the evening, and he had to move fast before she tried to kick him out of the store.

  
“Hey, Robin?” 

  
She spun on her heel with a hum of acknowledgement, just as Zoro thrust the bouquet towards her. 

  
Her beautiful blue eyes widened in confusion, pushing her eyebrows up into the fringe that framed her face so nicely. “Hmmm? Is there something wrong with the flowers?”

  
He was certain the heat coming from his face was visibly rising in tendrils of steam as he blurted, “Robin, _you’re_ the coolest girl I know.”

  
He didn’t think her eyes could get any wider, but he was wrong. 

  
She blinked slowly. Once. Twice.

  
His heart stopped beating. 

  
Then, she reached out a tentative hand and took the bouquet. Zoro was certain she brushed their fingers together on purpose this time. A breathtaking smile split across her face, crinkling the corners of her crystalline eyes as she laughed in her breathy alto.

“Roronoa Zoro,” She shook her head, grinning wildly as she held the flowers to her chest, “You had me so worried that I had misinterpreted what I had thought was our flirting.”

  
He shoved his hands back into his jacket’s pockets and shrugged, chuckling sheepishly, “I wanted to surprise you.” 

  
“Next time, try not to break my heart before you make it melt?” She didn’t actually seem to be upset. He knew his actions had charmed her. 

  
She glanced to the clock on the computer monitor. 9:58pm. 

  
Holding her bouquet close, she stepped to the front of the shop, flipping the minimalistic OPEN sign to the CLOSED position. She gazed out at the cold evening, musing, “Looks like mother nature has decided to give us her blessing in the form of snow. As beautiful as the snowflakes are, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to walk in this weather. Can I give you a lift home?”

  
Him and Robin? Alone in her van? After he just confessed to having feelings for her? Um, yes please!

  
“Sure, if it’s no pain,” He nodded, watching as she returning to behind the counter and pulled the till out of the bottom of the register.

  
Grabbing her keys, she gestured to the back of the store, where there was evidently some kind of _employees onl_ y office. Her voice was the slightest bit shaky as she chirped, “Just give me 10 minutes to close up.” She disappeared behind a door and he wondered if she was just was filled with as much nervous anticipation as he was.

  
The surge of adrenaline from finally making a move on the crush he had harbored for two years had quite the sobering effect on Zoro. He no longer felt lightheaded, his brain clear and racing with thoughts of the beautiful woman that was feet away from him, _who returned his affections_. The warmth radiating from his body had not diminished, though it was definitely more from nerves than alcohol at this point. He wasn’t sluggish or tired, as he usually got after drinking a fair amount. In fact, he felt more restless than anything. 

  
Leaning against the counter in front of him, Zoro fiddled with his phone, checking his messages and scrolling through socials to keep himself occupied while he waited for Robin.

  * 9:34pm – **luf**  
🍻🍻🍻



  * 10:00pm – **zoro**  
👍 _?_



  * 10:02pm – **luf**  
 _Drunk_



He sighed as he opened the attached image of Franky doing a handstand on his kick drum. If there was any harm done to it in their drunken shenanigans, he was withholding rent for the month. At least, the mechanic was probably more in control than Luffy. The latter wasn’t the best at holding his alcohol, and he would have been extremely concerned had he been the one on his drum kit. 

  * 10:06pm – **brook**  
 _Good evening, Mr. Zoro! My apologies for contacting you at such a late hour, but it seems our dear Luffy has drank a bit too mulch. Would you be able to pick him up? He is insidious he is okay to walk home, but both Mr. Franky and I feel uncomfortable with that idiot, and we do not want to drive irresistibly._



  * 10:06pm – **brook**  
*** _much, insisting, idea, irresponsibly_



  * 10:06pm – **brook**   
_Oh, dear autocorrect. My old fingers can’t seem to hit the right letters._



  * 10:07pm – **zoro**  
 _👍 15 min_



Robin returned to the shop, wrapped up in her long black down coat with faux fur around the hood. She was looking down at the bouquet she held with admiration before she lifted her gaze to make eye contact with Zoro. She tilted her head to the side, concern flashing in her eyes. She could read him like a book. 

  
“What is it?” She inquired, flicking off the lights to the shop and casting them in a thick darkness cut only by the light shining from Zoro’s phone display.

  
“Gotta go pick up Luf from the jam space and bring him home,” He frowned. 

  
“Why?” She held the door open for him as they stepped into the brisk, snowy evening. 

  
“Too drunk to walk home on his own.”

  
Once the door to the shop was locked, they rushed over to Robin’s ancient Grand Caravan, which was tucked just out of sight, right behind the shop. Zoro watched as Robin brushed stray snowflakes out of her bangs as she slid into the driver’s seat. He thought the glittering white spots looked rather pretty against her dark locks. 

  
“Is he okay?” She asked, turning the key in the ignition and adjusting her mirrors as the van clattered to life, a constant purr that was slightly louder than it probably should be. 

  
Zoro shrugged, “Seemed fine earlier. Think he just went a little too hard. You know how Franky and Brook get.”

  
As Robin aggressively spun the steering wheel, leaving tracks in the parking lot as she burst onto the road, he realized he should have told Brook that he would be there in 10 minutes instead of 15. He forgot that he was riding with a speed demon. 

  
Damn, she was so _cool_.

  
They arrived at Franky’s lot in record timing, and Robin agreed that it would be best for Zoro to dip in and grab Luffy before the older adults started asking too many questions about how he got there so fast, and how he was going to get the drunken frontman home. She grabbed a large binder and began to sift through various CDs, choosing something for their drive. Each disc was lovingly encased in the associated lyric booklet, and then placed inside the laminated pouched on each page. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen such a large physical collection of music. Most of his friends opted for the streaming music through their phones. 

  
When he stepped into the jam space, he was tackled by the same wiry frame that had got him earlier in the day.

  
“ZORO! GUYS, ZORO’S BACK! I LOVE ZORO!” 

  
Luffy’s screaming was a bit too much for him at this moment, and Brook and Franky seemed to share the same opinion, wincing at the noise that erupted from the young man’s mouth. 

  
He made quick work of saying goodnight to his friends and half-carrying a stumbling Luffy out to the van, one arm around the teen’s waist while the other tugged Luffy’s arm over his shoulder.

  
“ROOOOOOBIIIIIIN!” Luffy cried as he clumsily crawled into the back seat of the van on all fours, “ROBIN’S HERE!”

  
Zoro made to step away and close the door when Luffy’s hand darted out, wrapping around the former’s wrist. Zoro looked up to see his best friend laughing maniacally, “ZORO, COME SIT WITH ME!”

  
“Nah, Luf. I’m gonna sit up fro – ”

  
“COME ON, ZORO!” He tugged with all his surprising strength, practically pulling the drummer into the back of the van. 

  
Zoro was able to regain control over his body just long enough to lean over the middle console and murmur a quick, “Sorry,” to Robin, who simply giggled and shot him one of her understanding looks. He was then pulled against Luffy’s smaller frame, sandwiching the younger teen between himself and the bench. 

  
“Ugh, Zoro’s so heavy,” Luffy whined, pushing Zoro off his lap and onto the seat next to him.

  
“Yeah, well, you did that to yourself, idiot,” He huffed, taking a moment to buckle the drunkard’s seatbelt, as well as his own. 

  
As Robin pulled out of the lot, a soft synth track began to play over the speakers, accompanied by a clear female voice crooning over top. It was not a song familiar to Zoro but he found himself nodding along to the thumping bass drum as the tune began to build. It was a whimsical indie folk melody that screamed Robin, and he didn’t bother trying to stop the goofy grin from spreading across his face as he watched her eyes in the mirror fixed at the top of the windshield. The blue irises flicked upwards, and he could tell by the way the corners of her eyes crinkled that she was smiling as they met their gaze through the reflection. 

  
Luffy pulled out his phone, snickering as he began to text furiously.

  
Zoro didn’t want to pry. He really didn’t. He respected Luffy’s privacy, and was never one to be nosy. That was more Nami’s thing, or even the stupid cook.

  
However, it was awfully hard not to see the conversation when Luffy was slumped on Zoro’s shoulder, phone extended in front of him, directly in Zoro’s line of sight as he clumsily typed out his message.

  * 10:26pm – **luffy**  
 _i’mm sso glad were frends_



  * 10:26pm – **luffy**  
 _your so coool_



  * 10:27pm – **luffy**  
 _and u play guiter good_



  * 10:27pm – **luffy**  
 _and your cool_



Zoro winced as he saw who the recipient of said messages was. This was about to go one of two ways, and neither would most likely make Luffy very happy when he reread them the next day. 

  
Luffy’s phone dinged obnoxiously, and his best friend gasped in excitement as he stared at his screen.

  * 10:30pm – **torao**  
* _You’re_



  
Luffy frowned, shoving the screen into Zoro’s face and asking, “What does this mean?”

  
Zoro sighed, “It means you used the wrong spelling of ‘you’re’. He’s correcting you.” He was tempted to tag on _because he’s as prickly as a porcupine_ , but thought better of it. Luffy was already focused on his phone again. It had jingled once more.

  * 10:31pm – **torao**  
 _You drunk, Mr. Straw Hat?_



  * 10:31pm – **luffy**  
 _maybeeee_



  * 10:32pm – **torao**  
 _…Is this a booty call?_



The screen was in Zoro’s face again, Luffy muttering, “I don’t get it.”

  
Zoro didn’t even know what to say. What was he supposed to tell Luffy? That his current actions were being perceived as something Zoro had always assumed Luffy had no interest in? Not to mention that Law even bringing it up in the first place was suspicious. It was almost as if he was trying to put the idea in Luffy’s mind, almost like…

  
He coughed out a strangled choking noise as he forgot how to breath.

  
_WAS LAW TRYING TO FLIRT WITH LUFFY?!_

  
Was there a third outcome after all in which Law is not the least bit irritated by Luffy’s drunk texts?

  
Just as he was about to try and explain exactly what Law meant, the phone dinged.

  * 10:34pm – **torao**  
 _Jk jk_



“It’s fine, Luf. It was just a joke. Don’t worry about it,” Zoro managed to grumble, wanting to close his eyes and ignore the text conversation in front of him _so badly_ , but now feeling wildly over protective of his best friend. He was extremely concerned that Law was getting the wrong impression. Unless this _was_ the impression that Luffy wanted to make? 

  
He was so confused.

  * 10:34pm – **luffy**  
 _your so funny, toraooo_



  * 10:35pm – **luffy**  
 _and so cool_



  * 10:36pm – **luffy**  
 _mss dig_



  
Zoro narrowed his eyes as he tried to interpret Luffy’s last text. The teen had slumped further down on his shoulder and was starting to fall asleep. His phone fell right into Zoro’s lap as his fingers went limp, the screen lighting up once more.

  * 10:37pm – **torao**  
* _You’re_



  * 10:37pm – **torao**  
 _Bepo misses you too._



  * 10:40pm – **torao**   
_Make sure you drink lots of water before bed. Something to help your headache in the morning is not a bad idea, either._



  
He couldn’t believe what he was reading. Not only did Law interpret Luffy’s giberish with surprising speed, but he was also attempting to ease the impending hangover. Every time Zoro had interacted with Law, he had been cold and borderline standoffish, preferring to stay indifferent and placid instead of showing the slightest bit of emotion. He was always so guarded, unless he was playing music. It seemed so out of character that he would _care_ how Luffy felt in the morning, let alone give him some actual advice to actively try and prevent it. 

  
Then, Robin pulled up in front of Luffy’s house, and Zoro nudged the kid awake, completely forgetting his train of thoughts, because he was about to spend some one on one time with the woman he liked after telling her so. 

  
Luffy checked his phone before doing anything else, grinned wildly, and zoomed inside without so much as a thank you to his escorts. At least he was home safe. What a ride that had been.

  
As he slid back into the passenger seat, Robin spoke softly, “Do I even want to know?” 

  
Zoro shook his head, “It was nothing, just texting Torao.”

  
Robin hummed lowly, drumming her slender fingers along with the music from the speakers that were oozing dreamy indie folk vibes. Zoro noticed the leaflet for an album on the dashboard and grabbed it, reading that they were currently listening to Mitski’s _Retired from Sad, New Career in Business._

  
“I’m worried about Sanji,” She admitted, shooting him a stern look when he scoffed in response, “I think Kid’s comment really got to him. Playing with Torao when Sanji’s left for work probably does not help the situation.”

  
Zoro shrugged, “The shit cook agreed to it. Besides, Luffy thinks this is the best way to get a song written.”

  
“But at what cost?” She mused before starting to sing softly along with the music. 

  
He turned his head to the side, resting his cheek against the worn fabric head rest of the seat. He watched, entranced, as Robin’s profile was illuminated in the orange glow of the passing streetlamps. Her perfect teeth glinted beneath perfect lips, and her perfect eyes glimmered with a sort of nervous excitement that seemed to resonate with Zoro on a physical level, rendering his knees into jiggling piles of jelly, and his heart into a faulty metronome.

  
Her smooth alto dipped up and down, sometimes growing louder in volume as the songs would swell, then quieting during soft interludes. It amazed him how she possessed so much knowledge, yet still managed to memorize all of the lyrics to the music they listened too. How did she manage to cram all of that information into her brain? She was so smart.

  
Zoro felt his stomach drop with disappointment as she pulled into his driveway. 

  
He had been so mesmerized by her that he hadn’t spoken for the entire 30 minute drive. He kicked himself mentally. What a wasted opportunity. 

  
“You should sing more.”

  
He had murmured it the moment the engine had turned off, surprised by the sudden silence of the vehicle parked in front of his house.

  
“Why?” She scrunched her nose up as if she couldn’t possibly understand why anybody would like that. Did she really not know how lovely her voice was?

  
“Because you sing good.”

  
Well done, Zoro. Very articulate. Pat yourself on the back, you big sword wielding, drum pounding ape. 

  
She sang that lilting laugh that tickled his ears and smiled sweetly, “Why, thank you, Zoro. Though, if I’m being honest, I quite prefer to listen to others the majority of the time.”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“You can tell a lot about a person through their voice, and that also applies to the way they sing,” She elaborated, a passionate spark in her eyes, “How they’re feeling that day, whether they relate to the words they’re singing, whether they’re distracted, etc. It’s a lot like reading body language.”

  
“No wonder you always seem to just _know_ what’s going on,” He grumbled teasingly.

  
“I can’t give away all my techniques though,” She winked, “Don’t want everyone’s secrets getting out.”

  
He thumped the back of his skull against the headrest with a harsh chuckle before undoing his seatbelt and sliding out of the van. He stood in front of the open passenger door, noticing that Robin was preparing to exit the vehicle as well. “Why’d you park here anyway?” He asked cautiously.

  
Her smile could only be described as coy, “What? A girl can’t walk a guy to his door?”

  
The heat that rushed through his body was almost overwhelming, and he nearly tripped over his feet as he stepped around the front of the van and met her at the foot of the steps to his porch. He extended his hand to help her up the snowy steps, and she accepted gratefully. He hoped his hands weren’t sweaty from the immense warmth boiling beneath his jacket, but he was able to ignore his worried thoughts the moment he felt the smooth, cool texture of her hand wrapping around his. He didn’t want her to let go. 

  
They reached the front door.

  
What did he do? What did he do? _What did he do?_

  
“So, uh,” He instinctively lifted a hand to run it through his green spikes, then realized he was wearing a hat when his arm was already raised, resulting in an awkward wave that made him want to melt into a puddle that could seep through the wooden boards of the porch. He could disappear and never be seen again.

  
Robin waited patiently, amusement making her the corners of her mouth twitch. 

  
“Would you like to go on a date,” He muttered. The snow that landed on his cheeks was literally melting upon contact. “With me?” He added, feeling like a complete idiot. 

  
“Of course,” She replied instantly, “Though perhaps we can add this to my list of secrets to prevent anyone from butting their loveable heads into our business?”

  
He nodded, “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

  
She moved forward first, wrapping her arms around his neck as she leaned into him, burying her nose into his scarf-covered neck. He blinked, his brain taking a moment to register what was happening before returning her embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing ever so slightly. The hug was bulkier than he would have liked, given their winter attire, but that did not stop his heart from skipping a beat as he caught a whiff of her hair – A faint lavender scent with just a hint of vanilla.

  
His heart skipped a beat. His stomach twisted, and he genuinely considered calling 911 to report that his insides had flipped upside down. 

  
“Thank you for the flowers, Zoro,” She murmured into his scarf, “You’re the coolest boy I know.”

  
He grinned a goofy, toothy grin.

  
Tightening his grip on her waist, he slowly pulled his head back, as she lifted hers to meet his. He stared into her stunning, deep blue eyes, glowing beneath her snow spotted bangs and above her flushed cheeks. Her plump lips quirked into a small smile as she whispered, “You can kiss me, if you’d like.”

  
He did not hesitate. 

  
Her lips were warm and inviting, a welcome change from the frosty air surrounding them, and Zoro felt as though he was washed in the rays of his personal sunshine. He was enveloped in the scent of her hair, of her skin, of earthy soil and fragrant florals and coffee, and he felt as though his drunken buzz had returned as his head swam in pure bliss. He felt her nibble at his lower lip, and he was grateful that she took the lead, as he was too overwhelmed with joy to do anything but react. 

  
She entered his mouth with the same grace that she demonstrated with every one of her every day movements, moving the tip of her tongue along the roof of his mouth before commencing a dance with his own. She tasted of cinnamon chewing gum with a hint of green tea, and Zoro didn’t think he could ever get enough. 

  
His instincts kicked in, and he started to kiss her back just as passionately as she was kissing him, sliding his tongue into her mouth and exploring it as thoroughly as he possible could. She unhooked her hands from around his neck, cupping his face in her palms as she followed along with his deft motions.

  
Soft lips. Smooth hands. Lavender. Cinnamon. Perfect. _Robin_.

  
When they pulled apart, she cocked her head to the side, blushing furiously as she squeaked in a tone that was so unlike her, “Do you – ahem – are you really able to speak with a sword in your mouth?”

  
“It’s something I’m working on, yeah,” He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

  
She lifted her fingers to her flushed lips, giggling, “I can tell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awe Zoro, does anyone else find awkward flirting obscenely charming? What a gem.  
> Let's hope they can keep the good times going!
> 
> Shoutout to my muse and the person who got me shipping ZoroxRobin in the first place:  
> [hiraeth_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan)  
> Please check out her stories! She's absolutely fantastic and I couldn't do this without her <3
> 
> Next week: The Straw Hats play a show with Victoria Punk... and it does NOT end well.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! :) <3  
> See you next Sunday!


	10. Sabotage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Straw Hats encounter some technical difficulties at a show, resulting in a bar fight with Victoria Punk - Dun Dun DUNNNN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue iconic bass line from Sabotage by the Beastie Boys*
> 
> THE PLOT THICKENS  
> And I was so excited to post this super long chapter, I just couldn't wait til next week!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the extra chapter today! <3

Luffy loved _Shakky’s Rip Off Bar_. It was one of the few places he truly felt at home – other than the jam space and, well, home. The whole place reeked of stale Pabst Blue Ribbon with an underlying hint of cobwebs and aerosol air freshener that only added to the charm of the dive bar and concert hall. 

  
He liked the way his sneakers squeaked against the sticky linoleum floors in the entrance hallway, and the mysterious stains that dotted the dark carpets of the venue. He often found himself imagining that they were memories left behind by the previous generation of bands, and the groups before that. Perhaps a bar fight had spilt blood in the corner by the speakers, or some pre-show jitters had resulted in vomit in the center of the dancefloor. Who knew what stories the worn out building held, and Luffy could not wait to add his own voice to the ghosts that danced through the place.

  
He grinned at Usopp, who shivered in the late November air as the two teens hauled an amp each in through the scratched up red door. They staggered down the narrow hallway, Usopp whining as he took small steps, his arms weighed down by the heavy equipment he held. Luffy, on the other hand, simply snickered as he wandered into the venue with ease. 

  
“How can you carry that thing so easily?!” Usopp scoffed, sweat beading at the lip of the patterned bandana he wore over his curly hair, “It’s so heavy!”

  
Luffy shrugged, “Much lighter than carrying around Zoro.” 

  
The drummer scoffed as he overheard the statement, exchanging a look with Robin. Luffy vaguely remembered something about Zoro sitting on top of him in the band van, but the details escaped him. It was probably that night that he had gotten hammered with Brook and Franky. Any other day, he could carry around his best friend with ease – not that Zoro ever really let him. He only allowed it when they had to change the light bulbs in the jam space. 

  
“THAT DOESN’T ANSWER MY QUESTION!” Usopp squeaked, eyes widening as Luffy moved the large amp over to his side, grasping the handle at the top with one hand. 

  
“Don’t take it personally, Usopp,” Sanji soothed from the entrance, out of sight save for a trail of cigarette smoke floating past the door, “The glutton is just freakishly strong.”

  
“Sanji, you know my superpower is meat!” Luffy called back, clearly referring to his favourite food that undoubtedly was the source of his ridiculous strength. 

  
“EHHH?” The guitarist’s face popped into view as he craned his neck to peer into the venue, his cheeks a deep vermillion, “Luffy! No! You should know how obscene that sounds!”

  
“Huh?” Luffy squinted his eyes towards his friend’s stunned expression, before immediately getting distracted by Usopp’s grumble.

  
“Move it, you dummy. You’re blocking the hallway,” The sound technician continued to hobble his way towards the bar, shouldering past Luffy for a brief moment. It took mere seconds for him to be passed once again as the frontman dropped his amp by their stack of assorted equipment, and turned back to fetch his guitar next. 

  
As Luffy wandered back towards the hall in front of which the van was parked, he heard Nami call from the merch table, “Usopp! Come here, I need your opinion on something.”

  
There was a thud as Sanji’s amplifier was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, and the soft pad of sneakers on carpet as he rushed over to the band manager. Luffy considered that it was a good thing the guitarist was smoking out front. He probably wouldn’t take very kindly to Usopp manhandling his equipment. The frontman grinned at the thought of Sanji kicking the long nosed teen in the shin, using some choice curse words to express his irritation. 

  
Sanji was so funny when he was mad. 

  
Which seemed to be happening far more often lately. 

  
He took his guitar as Robin passed him the last instrument in the van, slamming the trunk shut and climbing into the driver’s seat to park the vehicle in the nearby lot. He thought it was weird that Zoro slid into the passenger seat for such a quick drive, but supposed it was nice that his friends considered using the buddy system at all times. Friends made everything better. 

  
He stopped beneath the neon sign advertising _Shakky’s_ on the side of the grey brick building, leaning his guitar against the textured wall and placing himself directly in front of Sanji. He cocked his head to the side and frowned as Sanji quirked a spiral eyebrow at him.

  
“Is there something on my face?” Sanji drawled, sarcasm oozing from every word. He irritably sucked on his cigarette, foot tapping impatiently.

  
“Sanji’s upset,” Luffy stated.

  
“Congratulations, you’re detective of the year.”

  
“What’s up?” Luffy asked, crossing his arms across his chest and rocking back and forth on the heels of his sneakers. 

  
“It’s nothing,” Sanji muttered, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground and snuffing it against the icy slush that lined the alleyway with the vintage black dress shoes he typically wore to shows. They looked nice with his dark pants and loose button up. Luffy liked that they had such contrasting personal styles, that Sanji always looked like he was ready for a date while Luffy preferred jean shorts in winter and hoodies himself. It made them stand out like unique action figures; Part of a set, but could be sold separately. 

  
“Sanji’s upset and I wanna know why,” Luffy insisted, puffing his cheeks out in an exaggerated pout.

  
The guitarist sighed heavily, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sherpa lined denim jacket and leaning against the brick wall. His jaw clenched and relaxed multiple times, and he seemed to be chewing on the inside of his lip. His blue eyes were intensely focused on the dirtied snow bank, on the other side of the alley, that a dog had definitely urinated in. Luffy always thought of the lemon sorbet Sanji had made them that one time.

  
He wondered if he could convince Sanji to make some after the show tonight.

  
It was cold and tangy and delicious and reminded him of sunnier summer days.

  
After what felt like forever, Sanji looked at him with troubled eyes. Luffy could tell he wasn’t telling the whole truth as he spoke, but he was just happy that his friend was giving him an opportunity to help, at least a little bit. “I’m not looking forward to dealing with Victoria Punk tonight, is all,” Sanji muttered.

  
“Oh,” Luffy frowned, “Don’t worry about Jaggy and them.”

  
“Jaggy? You mean Eustass Kid?” 

  
“Yeah, Jaggy,” Luffy insisted, quite content with the nickname he had come up for the frontman with the red spikes and scars on his face, “Ace and Sabo are coming tonight and if they say anything, we’ll all beat them up.”

  
There was a flash of panic and a mix of something similar to excitement in Sanji’s blue eyes, “Ace is coming tonight?” He coughed, pounding his fist against his chest and shaking his head before adding, “Um, and Sabo?”

  
Luffy nodded, “Yep! So let them say what they want to say. We’ll deal with them after.”

  
“We’ll deal with who after?” Zoro asked as the drummer and bassist approached the red door of the venue.

  
Luffy spun around on his heel, slipping on a patch of black ice and nearly landing on his ass in the middle of the alleyway. Thankfully, Robin had made it to his side and caught him mid-fall. He giggled as she helped him to his feet. The feeling of being suspended in air had caused a rush of adrenaline to surge through him and he felt his typical pre-show jitters. He was eager to get on stage and burn off some steam. 

  
“We’re gonna kick Victoria Punk’s ass,” Luffy cackled, cracking his knuckles.

  
Zoro grinned and began to mimic his movements, while Robin mused, “I do hope you mean with our set, and not with our fists, for there could be consequences to the latter.”

  
Sanji rolled his eyes, “Yeah, he means with our set, don’t worry.”

  
“No, I don – ”

  
The guitarist’s hand slammed over Luffy’s mouth just as Usopp opened the door of the bar.

  
“Yo guys, it’s time for sound check. Let’s get this over with. Nami’s hungry.”

  
As they wandered into the venue, stripping off winter jackets and shuffling wet shoes on the doormat just inside the entrance, Luffy’s phone buzzed.

  * 6:30pm – **torao**  
 _What time are doors?_



  * 6:31pm – **luffy**  
 _TORAO IS COMING! 7:30!_



  * 6:33pm – **torao**  
 _Penguin and Shachi wanted to go. We’ll be early. 7 okay?_



  * 6:33pm – **luffy**  
👍 _You can get food with us!_



When he lifted his gaze from his phone, He was standing toe to toe with Eustass Kid. The taller, broader man stared down at him menacingly, his painted nails shining in the yellow lighting of the bar area as he lifted a hand to run it through his gelled red spikes that erupted beneath the steampunk goggles he wore on his forehead.

  
“Oi, Jaggy,” Luffy chirped, blinking up at the other frontman, “What’s up?”

  
The older man scrunched his nose at the nickname, pushing his torso forward so he was looming above the teen. “Straw Hat. Got any tricks up your sleeve tonight?” He scowled.

  
“Hmmm?” Luffy hummed, unfazed by the intimidation tactic the 22 year old was attempting to employ. 

  
“Do we get to see your new guitarist or is he gonna have another freak out?”

  
“Oh, you mean Torao? He’s just helping us write a song for the Battle of the Bands,” Luffy grinned up at the red haired man with the furry cloak that hung off his shoulders. He considered that he should get a cool jacket to wear on stage or something. Maybe he could find a shiny cape so he could look like a bronze statue. 

  
Kid’s amber eyes narrowed and his lip curled, “So the cover band is really entering, eh?”

  
Luffy nodded, peering around the large frame in front of him to see the other members of the billed bands milling about, mingling, setting up their corners, and ordering drinks from Dr. Kureha. He noticed his bandmates setting up on the stage for their sound check, and looking around the venue as if searching him out. It appeared they were using Urouge’s drum kit, as Victoria Punk was headlining. Usopp was tapping his foot impatiently at the sound booth. Nami was standing next to him, hands on her hips and already wrapped up in her jacket and scarf. Luffy didn’t blame her for rushing them. He was pretty hungry too. 

  
“Gotta go, Jaggy! Thanks for letting us use your kit!” He waved as he skirted around the vocalist, who shot him an incredulous frown as if he couldn’t believe that his time meant so little to the energetic teen. 

  
Once Usopp was content with the levels for their set, they checked in with Stelly and Charlos – two peculiar looking men in their late 30’s who made up the experimental duo by the name of Cockwomble – to find out what time their set started. If they were going to scoot out for food, they wanted to make sure they would all be back in time for the first band of the night. Since they were to start at 8 o’clock, that gave them an hour or so to grab a bite to eat. Plenty of time.

  
Bundled up in their jackets, the band, manager, and sound tech made for the entrance of the venue, Nami chattering away about how she had told Vivi, Chopper, Brook, and Franky that they would probably be out when they got to the venue, just so they weren’t confused when they didn’t see their friends as soon as they entered the building. Vivi even offered to cover the merch table once doors were open, which was much appreciated. 

  
“What time are Ace and Sabo getting here?” Sanji asked, fishing a cigarette out of his carton as they exited _Shakky’s_.

  
Luffy shrugged, “Dunno, they’ll just show up at some point. HEY, THERE’S TORAO!”

  
The moment he saw the lanky teen, his long legs clad in ripped blue jeans and his torso wrapped in a simple grey long sleeved v-neck beneath an open black trench coat with yellow buttons, his golden eyes disinterested beneath the messy raven locks that brushed his brow, Luffy had an overwhelming urge to _touch_. 

  
He moved before he could think it through, sprinting forward towards his newest friend.

  
Then the same patch of black ice from earlier attacked, and Luffy found himself on his back in the alleyway, staring up at the darkening, overcast sky. 

  
“Oh my god, Luffy!” Nami’s doe eyes blinked down at him.

  
“Luf, you idiot, watch where you’re going,” Zoro’s head popped into vision next to his favourite manager.

  
Usopp appeared next, “Please tell me you’re not bleeding.”

  
“Just because there’s no blood doesn’t mean we should rule out internal bleeding,” Robin joined the throng of people looming over him.

  
“Oi, Luffy, how many fingers am I holding up?” Sanji murmured through his cigarette, holding up three fingers and two thumbs (He wasn’t going to fall for that one).

  
“Mr. Straw Hat,” Law’s sharp gaze filled the last sliver of grey clouds above him, “Excited to see me?”

  
Luffy felt no pain, though his vision blurred the slightest bit as he began to laugh heartily. It felt like a movie moment – Luffy flat on his back with 6 friends filling his field of vision above him. It was not unlike the last time he had wiped out on his skateboard, though Law was there instead of Chopper. He was sure he had bruised his tailbone, but that was one of those measly injuries that he could power through. 

  
“He’s laughing. He must be fine,” Zoro observed.

  
“He’s laughing, he could be _delirious_!” Nami argued.

  
“Where’s Chopper when you need him?” Usopp fretted, tapping his index fingers together anxiously.

  
“Relax, he doesn’t need a doctor. He’s okay,” Sanji muttered, blowing a cloud of smoke out of the side of his mouth.

  
“I would like to remind you all about the dangers of concussions,” Robin spoke in a level, mildly amused tone that did not match her words.

  
Law sighed, “If you’d all be so kind as to back off, I can take a look at him.”

  
Luffy giggled as Zoro got right up in the other teen’s business, scowling, “Why? You’re no doctor.”

  
“Very observant, Mr. Zoro,” Law drawled, stepping away from the drummer’s approach, avoiding the curious stares by looking down at Luffy, “Though I am planning on becoming one.”

  
Without waiting for anyone’s permission, Law shouldered his way past Nami and Zoro, who resembled two guard dogs with their teeth bared and hackles raised, and crouched down by Luffy’s side. 

  
He could feel the tears spilling from the corners of his eyes as he continued to snicker. He laughed and laughed and it was starting to make his stomach hurt. It was all so funny. How the scene must look, how fast he had wiped out, how he had fallen in front of _Torao_ of all people – why he was so concerned about that, he wasn’t sure, but he was aware of the thought in his mind – and the varying levels of concern that matched his friends’ personalities so well. 

  
“Mr. Straw Hat?” Law extended a slender finger to poke at the giggling teen’s cheek, “Hey, Straw Hat.”

  
“Very professional, Dr. Trafalgar,” Sanji grumbled. 

  
“Luffy!” Law muttered, ducking his head so he wouldn’t be overheard.

  
The laughter stopped immediately. Luffy blinked at the embarrassed scowl Law wore, at his golden eyes that darted from his face to the ground between them.

  
“You said my name, Torao,” He beamed, “Again.” 

  
Law rolled his eyes, placing both tattooed hands on his knees, “Does it hurt anywhere specific? How is your vision? Any spots or motion blur? Do you want me to check the back of your head?”

  
“I’m good. My tailbone hurts,” Luffy pouted.

  
“Yeah, er,” The olive skin that stretched across Law’s cheeks darkened further as he mumbled, “I’m not gonna check that for you.” 

  
He stood in a weird motion that was simultaneously stiff and graceful and utterly _Law_. He held out a hand.

  
Luffy gazed up at the teen, noticing the way he stared unseeingly down the alleyway, reluctant to make eye contact, as if meeting the other’s gaze would make the simple offer something more. He grit his teeth as Luffy hesitated to place his hand in the outstretched palm, and the latter knew that if he had to act now before Law regretted extending the assistance in the first place. 

  
Law flinched as Luffy grabbed his hand, tugging him swiftly to his feet before breaking the contact and shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. 

  
Nami, Usopp, and Sanji had already begun walking to the bistro a few doors down. Robin nudged Zoro and nodded to Law, prompting the former two to turn and follow the rest of the group. Luffy did not miss the suspicious glare the drummer shot towards the lanky, dark haired teen. If Law had noticed, he pretended not to, simply gesturing to Penguin and Shachi – who had been waiting on the sidelines – and trailing along behind the crowd as a separate unit.

  
Luffy watched him, confusion overwhelming the weird fluttery feeling that had exploded in his chest the moment his fingers had brushed against the soft, warm skin of Law’s palm. Law didn’t like being touched, to the point that he had downright refused the same gesture from Luffy not that long ago. In fact, it was probably for the best that he had slipped on the ice, for if he hadn’t he would have tried to hug Law, and something told him that was not going to go over well. 

  
Why had he offered his hand?

  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he scurried forward to catch up with the group, now far more interested in the sandwich he was going to eat. As long as it was packed with meat, he would be happy. And then he would get to see Ace and Sabo! And then play music on stage! It was going to be a good night. 

  
He had managed to worm his way to the front of the crowd during the short walk to the bistro, rushing through the door as the chime of a bell alerted the person working the counter of their arrival. He was no stranger to the judgmental stares of restaurant employees as a group of teenagers rolled into their workplace, and this place was no different. 

  
“What can I get you?” The middle aged man behind the counter grunted, waving his hand at the wide array of sandwiches scrawled on the blackboard that hung above the cash register.

  
“The largest size of your cold cut combo, with bacon, and five times the amount of meat, please!” Luffy beamed up at the employee, “Oh, and with all the fixings.”

  
“That sandwich won’t even fit in your mouth, kid,” The man raised his eyebrow, “And it _definitely_ won’t fit in the panini press.”

  
Luffy shrugged, “Non-toasted is okay.”

  
The man’s brow furrowed, as if he wasn’t sure if he should be disgusted or impressed, “Alright then, you’re looking at $29.55.”

  
He turned to grin at Nami, who sighed and slammed the cash down on the counter while scowling, “Really, Luffy? A $30 sandwich. Really?!”

  
The employee handed him a number and moved onto Nami, as Luffy made for the conveniently large booth in the back corner of the bistro. It was shaped like a horseshoe, and was built to hold 6 people comfortably. That being said, it could definitely hold 7 people if they squished, and 2 chairs could be pushed to the end of the table so that they could all sit together. 

  
At least, Luffy had thought it was a good idea until he noticed Law, Penguin, and Shachi splitting off after ordering to sit at their own table.

  
Now, that wouldn’t do.

  
Luffy marched over to them, lips set into a deep frown as he called, “Hey! Torao! Come sit with us!”

  
Law met his determined stare with indifference, “I’d prefer to sit with my friends, Mr. Straw Hat.”

  
“Well, duh, but we’re your friends too,” Luffy rolled his eyes, “And I wanna get to know Torao’s buddies.” He grinned as Penguin and Shachi nodded enthusiastically.

  
Law narrowed his eyes in an unspoken challenge, and Luffy responded by crossing his arms over his chest and glaring back. Electricity sparked between them as they glowered at each other, and Luffy was fully aware that whoever blinked first was the loser.

  
“Ha! I win!” He cheered as Law’s eyes closed lazily.

  
“What?”

  
“The staring contest. Now you have to sit with us.” Luffy insisted.

  
“I never agreed to any staring contest, right guys... HEY!” The other teen had turned to seek confirmation from his two friends, to find that their seats were already empty, and they were waving at him from the booth of giggling Straw Hats. He frowned, “I suppose I will eat alone then.”

  
Luffy shook his head adamantly, “Stop being stubborn. Come sit with us.”

  
With a dramatic sigh, Law slumped his shoulders forward as he pulled himself to his seat, grabbing the number that represented his meal and following Luffy to the booth. 

  
Whatever conversation that their friends had been partaking in had died out the instant Law and Luffy had taken the two seats at the end of the table. Luffy figured that the timing seemed a little unlikely, but knew better than to pry. They were probably gossiping. He wasn’t a fan of gossip.

  
“I’m glad you guys decided to come tonight,” Nami smiled at Shachi and Penguin, “It’s nice to expand our little group.” There was a clear gleam in her brown eyes that revealed she meant it was nice to expand her _wallet_. A cut of three more ticket sales was better than nothing. 

  
“O-Of course!” The teen with a hat that bore his name on it and a light green hoodie blushed, “We would never miss a Victoria Punk show.”

  
_“OR_ a Straw Hats show, for that matter,” The other teen, in a pale blue crewneck with a funky orca whale hat, added quickly.

  
Both boys were staring at Nami and Robin with hearts in their eyes. They looked as silly as Sanji did whenever either of the ladies requested anything from him. Luffy noticed the glares that Usopp and Zoro were shooting their way, making him snicker quietly to himself. Zoro he had expected. He was slow to trust people, but he had never considered that Usopp would be so protective of his friends. 

  
The food was distributed in a couple of rounds to the table, and Luffy was fully salivating by the time his massive sandwich was plopped down in front of him. The halves were barely being held together by twin toothpicks that could not fully impale the density of all the layers of meat. He licked his lips as he lifted his hands to grab the monstrous meatwich, noticing out of his peripheral vision that Law’s plate contained a sad looking salad of what appeared to be sandwich fixings.

  
“Huh?” He took a bite out of his meal, not caring that he was talking with food in his mouth, “You didn’t get a sandwich Torao?”

  
Law glared at the pathetic excuse for dinner, stabbing the shredded lettuce with a plastic fork as he grumbled, “Gluten intolerance.”

  
“You can’t eat bread? That’s so sad,” Luffy chewed, prompting some knowing chuckles from Penguin and Shachi.

  
As if they had been expecting it, they put on an exaggerated scowl and whispered along with Law as he stated sternly, “I hate bread.”

  
“How can you hate bread?!” Usopp yelped incredulously, his hands full of a pastrami sandwich. Nami hummed in agreement, raising her eyebrow at the moping teen.

  
Law shrugged, “It’s bland and the texture throws me off.”

  
“You’re weird, Torao,” Luffy snickered. Zoro and Sanji nodded, before scowling at each other for having the same opinion on something.   
“Why is it weird?” Robin pondered, picking at a stray tomato that had fallen out of her panini, “It would be rather masochistic to long for a food that would inflict so much internal discomfort.”

  
“Thank you for the colourful defense, Miss Nico,” Law muttered as the rest of the group chuckled at the comment.

  
After they had finished their food and were ready to wash the meal down with a drink or two, the group made their way back to the slushy, icy sidewalk and began the quick journey to the venue. Two doors down from the bistro, Luffy dragged Nami into a convenience store, slipping away from the group in what he thought was an inconspicuous manner, despite Sanji and Usopp hollering at them to hurry up, and Zoro halting everyone right out front of the shop. His friends were so funny. 

  
“What are you doing?” Nami growled as Luffy perused the selection of snacks on display beneath the counter.

  
“Still hungry,” He pouted, before selecting what he wanted and slamming it down by the cash register with enthusiasm. Nami coughed up the cash with a disgruntled mutter, and they were back with the group in less than 2 minutes. 

  
As the Straw Hats entered the venue with 10 minutes to spare before the first act, Zoro and Robin made for the bar to meet up with Franky and Brook, while Sanji, Usopp, and Nami joined Chopper and Vivi at the merch table. Luffy went to wander towards Zoro, eager to make his rounds and say hi to everybody, when he caught sight of Law, Penguin, and Shachi taking a table towards the back of the bar area. Law rested an elbow on the surface and his chin in his palm, staring at the empty stage across the venue with an absent glaze over his eyes. His friends chattered away next to him, though it was clear that he paid them no mind.

  
Luffy placed the snack he had purchased on the table in front of Law.

  
Snapping out of his daze, Law eyed the wrapper skeptically, shooting him a confused glance.

  
“You didn’t eat that shitty salad,” Luffy shrugged.

  
“Oh hey, it’s your favourite,” Penguin chimed, eyeing the brand and the little _Gluten-Free_ logo on the plastic.

  
“How did you know, Straw Hat?” Shachi asked.

  
“Just a good guess,” Luffy grinned as he stepped away from them, waving to Brook and Franky. He didn’t think they would take too kindly to him telling them that he had noticed Law eating the same granola bar for lunch for the past 2 months. He wasn’t quite sure why, but Nami always told him that his observations were ‘creepy’ and ‘invasive’. 

  
Once the group at the bar had their drinks, they met up with the group at the merch table, and everyone save for Nami made their way to the front of the stage to watch the first act.

  
The houselights dimmed and the spotlight shone along with a disco ball of multi coloured rotating LEDs. The continuously growing audience was hushed as Cockwomble took the stage. 

  
Charlos, a stocky man with overly large lips that dwarfed his beady eyes and eternally runny nose, wore his black hair in a strange mix of an exaggerated pompadour and fringe bangs. The way his hair framed his portly face was very unflattering, though no less so than the weird spaceman suit he was wearing as he continuously hit one note on his synth, set to echo endlessly around the room. 

  
Stelly began to pluck at seemingly every note on his acoustic guitar that _didn’t_ harmonize with the one his bandmate played, creating a clashing, uncomfortable noise that sent unfavourable chills up everybody’s spine. He grinned smugly down at the audience, his square features prominent against his round face, and even rounder bowl cut, in the harsh lighting of the stage. 

  
Then, they began to chant. It was a peculiar sort of sound, not unlike singing, but with more of a spoken edge? In fact, Luffy couldn’t quite tell if the noises they were making were intentional, or if they were simply so tone deaf that they couldn’t control their pitch. 

  
They ‘sang’ of kings and nobles, of rightful places and reigning supremacy, all while the droning of the keyboard went on and on. Luffy noticed that most of the audience had confusion written across their faces. He didn’t blame them. He understood that the duo considered themselves _experimental noise wave_ , but he couldn’t figure out if they were good at what they did, or just plain bad.

  
He was leaning towards the latter when he was distracted by a hand on his shoulder.

  
Sanji nodded towards the bar, where two familiar faces were draping their jackets over bar stools.

  
Luffy’s feet could not move fast enough as he propelled himself across the venue, leaping on an unsuspecting blond man with a shout of “SABO!”

  
His older brother reacted with practiced speed. It wouldn’t have been the first time Luffy had rocketed into him. With a chuckle in his calming tenor, Sabo locked his arms around the teen’s waist when the latter leapt onto him, wrapping limbs around the upper half of the former’s torso. 

  
“Hey Luffy! It’s been too long!” Sabo grinned into Luffy’s faded red crewneck with the vintage Coca-Cola logo on it.

  
“Why did you have to move away from home?” Luffy whined as he shimmied down from his perch on his brother, feet landing on the ground with a _thud_!

  
“So I don’t get the cold shoulder like Ace whenever I come to see you,” Sabo winked, gesturing to their other brother at the bar behind them. They had expected a snarky comment to counter them, but were met with silence. Sabo glanced over his shoulder, to see the freckled young adult in conversation with Sanji. Luffy thought it was nice of the guitarist to make sure Ace felt just as welcome as Sabo.

  
He grinned, “I see Ace every day. I see you, like, _never_.” 

  
Sabo maintained his easy going composure, though the way he shoved his hands in to the pockets of his overly large woolly cardigan and shuffled his vintage combat boots against the carpet betrayed his guilt, “Yeah, well, that’s University for you.”

  
“Robin has loads of time for us,” Luffy blinked, though it was just to ruffle his older brother’s feathers. He knew that Sabo ran plenty of extracurricular activities, including the school’s model United Nations, and spent his evenings preparing classes as a TA for first years enrolled in Political Science. He was genuinely busy, and always tried his best to make time for his family when he had the chance. 

  
Luffy considered that his brother looked older than the last time he had seen him. Perhaps it was the wire rimmed glasses he wore atop his nose, or how his golden hair had grown longer and was tied back in a messy bun. It definitely had nothing to do with the thin, checkered scarf he wore around his neck. He had always been partial to those, even if it was warm indoors. Luffy didn’t see the point in wearing so many layers if you weren’t cold, and Ace always said it was because Sabo was a “hipster doofus.”

  
“I’ve seen Robin around campus,” Sabo nodded, “That girl knows time management, it’s true.” 

  
He gestured to the bar, “Can I buy my favourite frontman a drink? They’ve got a killer, unfiltered local IPA. Oh, but I’ve been meaning to try Kureha’s spiked Kombucha too…”

  
Luffy laughed at the words that didn’t make sense to him, “Nah, I’m good. We’re on soon, anyway.”

  
“Suit yourself. But, I’ll get you after your set.”

  
“Deal!” Luffy chimed, waving enthusiastically to Ace before grabbing Sanji by the wrist and dragging him towards the stage.

Cockwomble was on their last song, which meant that it was almost time for Luffy to do what he did best.

  
As the soft, blatantly polite applause faded out and Charlos and Stelly vacated the stage, the Straw Hats made quick work of setting up their equipment. Robin seemed as calm as ever, though the way she smiled softly when no one was watching her gave her true excitement away. Zoro was literally bouncing up and down on his drum stool, raring to go. Sanji’s fingers shook as he plugged his guitar into the amp, and Luffy knew he was extra concerned about putting on a good show in front of Victoria Punk. He beamed as his blond bandmate caught his eye. The only way to get over the nerves was to just _do it_.

  
So, that’s what they were going to do.

  
The moment Usopp gave them the thumbs up from the sound booth and the houselights dimmed, the crowd went silent. It was a good turnout. He could hardly see the bar area, where Law sat with Penguin and Shachi. It didn’t matter that they weren’t up front with Vivi, Chopper, Franky, and Brook. Luffy was just happy they had shown up at all. 

  
There was an anxious hum of anticipation in the room, and Luffy felt his heart pounding as he waited for Zoro to count them in.

  
“1! 2! 3!”

  
“ _Woo-hoo-hoo_!” On the count of 4, Sanji and Luffy cooed their harmonies into the microphones, leading the group in Bowling For Soup’s _1985._

  
Luffy threw himself around the stage in the intro, feeling the upbeat song flow through him as Sanji played the main guitar riff and Robin and Zoro kept them in sync. He was so wrapped up in swinging his guitar around as he banged his head to the music that he almost forgot to return to the microphone for the verse.

  
Almost. 

  
“ _Debbie just hit the wall! She never had it all. One Prozac a day, husband’s a CPA_ ,” He cried in the infectious melody that was instantly recognizable by the crowd. 

  
He was happy to see everyone singing along in the chorus. It was one of the many perks of being a cover band. There was something about singing along with a big group of people, like you got to be a part of some special shared experience that everyone would remember fondly. Getting to that point where everyone knew the words to your original songs was certainly a much more arduous journey, and the scowl that Eustass Kid wore on his face as Basil Hawkins whispered in his ear confirmed that the other frontman was jealous of the way the crowd was so involved in the Straw Hats set. 

  
Luffy didn’t really see why he would be jealous. Victoria Punk was just as good as them from a purely musical standpoint, and they put on one hell of a show. Together with Cherry Bomb, they made up their two main rivals for the upcoming Battle of the Bands, hands down. Yet, there Kid was, scowling to the right of the stage as if a skunk had sprayed him and he still wasn’t able to get the scent out 3 tomato baths later. 

  
Luffy didn’t like when people frowned during their set. 

  
When they reached the bridge, he let the guitar hang around his waist as Sanji plucked the picking part, grabbing the mic stand and leaning forward to be closer to the crowd. He placed one sneaker on the monitor in front of him, and held out one hand to the audience, allowing excited fans to grab at his fingers as he sang, “ _She hates time, make it stop. When did Motley Crue become classic rock? And when did Ozzy become an actor? Please make this stop, stop, STOP!_ ”

  
He may have directly pointed at Kid’s face as the band stopped in perfect timing with the song, beaming merrily at his taken aback expression. 

  
Luffy hoped Kid understood that he wanted him to stop frowning. 

  
The Straw Hats jumped back into the song with impeccably synchronization that would impress the most seasoned musicians, jamming away the rest of the song while bouncing around the stage, wide smiles plastered across all of their faces. Even Zoro was grinning wildly around the third drumstick in his mouth. It wasn’t everyday that they pulled off that pause in the song so smoothly. 

  
When the song ended, Luffy noticed that Kid was no longer by the right speaker, but instead was talking to Usopp at the sound booth. Maybe he had noticed something off about their sound and was giving the Straw Hats’ sound technician a heads up. That would be super cool of him. 

  
They jumped right into _Stacey’s Mom_ by Fountains of Wayne, Sanji taking the lead vocals as Luffy provided back ups. He tried to keep a close eye on Kid and Usopp, curious to see if they had fixed the sound issue, but found himself getting easily distracted as he jumped around the stage, shooting silly faces at Zoro and shouting lyrics with Robin. 

  
At some point, he noticed that Usopp had left the sound booth, wandering up to the right speaker while shouting over the music at Kid. It seemed that he was explaining something. Perhaps Kid was just _that_ impressed with their sound? Usopp was awfully good at mixing their levels. 

  
There was a flash of pale blue that slipped behind the sound booth, and as they neared the big key change at the end of the song, there was the loud screech of feedback.

  
All of a sudden, the microphones were screaming, their levels cranked too loud and their proximity to other amplifying equipment messing with the frequencies. When Luffy and Sanji tried to sing the last chorus, their voices came out as a jumbled, shrieking mess as the microphones acted up, and to make matters worse, the reverb setting had been changed to max, causing the terrible noise to echo around the venue for an extended period of time. 

  
All of a sudden, Robin’s bass amp was cut, and they could no longer hear her playing her part. Luffy’s guitar grew too loud, and Sanji’s already warped voice was drowning in heavily distorted chords that didn’t even sound like what he was playing.

  
What the _hell_ was going on?! 

  
The band exchanged panicked glances at each other, but continued to play through the rest of the song. They couldn’t just stop playing. They had to be professional, as Robin has made very clear after the last stunt Luffy had pulled. 

  
The crowd looked horrified, covering their ears from the cacophony of noises assaulting their senses. Brook was shouting something at Usopp over the ungodly noise, who bore an expression that Luffy was pretty sure he had never seen on his friend’s face before. The sound technician barrelled towards the sound booth, expression calling for bloody murder, on top of a good ol’ ass kicking. Victoria Punk’s sound guy, a tall, very pale man with long wavy blue hair by the name of Heat stumbled out of the nook as Usopp grabbed his shoulders and flung him aside, screaming at the assailant. 

  
The moment their friends recognized the culprit, Franky quickly grabbed Kid by the furry cloak, yelling something in the frontman’s face before the latter brushed the older man off and sauntered away with an arrogant grin. 

  
It took half of their cover of _The Anthem_ by Good Charlotte before Usopp had fixed the sound, bringing it back down to its perfect mix.

The crowd visibly sighed in relief, and though Luffy was fuming on the inside, he managed to put on a smile and finish the set with no further issues. 

  
After their show was a different story.

  
Nami had watched fretfully by the merch table, unable to leave it unattended, as Usopp, Vivi, Chopper, Franky, Brook, Ace and Sabo had crowded around the Straw Hats as the moment they marched into the venue after loading their equipment into the van. 

  
They stopped them in the entrance hallways, recognizing the fury and determination flashing in Luffy’s eyes. 

  
“Hey, hey, Luffy!” Vivi tried to sooth, though her voice shook, “It’s okay! You guys still sounded great.”

  
Chopper nodded vigorously, “It’s true! It was just a little hiccup. I still got some great footage for the Instagram page, don’t worry!” The younger teen pulled out his cellphone to show Luffy a series of snippets from their set. “I’ll go over these with Nami and post the best ones!” He offered, scurrying over to the merch table when the frontman had nodded graciously. That way Nami could hear that everyone was okay and someone wasn’t about to punch anyone in the face. 

  
Yet.

  
“A stupid prank, bro,” Franky placed a reassuring hand on Luffy’s shoulder, though a little harder than necessary, indicating that the older man was probably mulling over the pros and cons of starting a bar fight.

  
“A tasteless one at that,” Brook sighed, his bony fingers tapping on the rim of his wine glass while he frowned, “Why on earth would Victoria Punk want to sabotage you like that?”

  
“Maybe because they’re jealous assholes?” Zoro grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
“You were speaking with Kid earlier, weren’t you, Luffy?” Robin asked, a worried frown stretching across her lips.

  
“Did you tell him anything important?” Usopp inquired, glaring daggers at Heat, who was currently adjusting the levels for Victoria Punk in the sound booth. 

  
Luffy thought for a moment before shrugging, “He was asking about Torao, and I told him that he was writing a song with us for the Battle of the Bands.”

  
“Ah,” Sanji muttered, “You think he sees us a threat?”

  
“Well duh,” Luffy answered, “Did you hear how perfect our timing was in _1985_?”

  
“Your set was awfully tight guys. Unprecedented sound issues aside, the four of you sounded great,” Sabo nodded, turning to Luffy and offering with an encouraging smile, “Why don’t we all unwind and think about other things over a couple of drinks?”

  
Sanji gestured towards the front door, “I’m going to go for a smoke. I’ll meet you guys in a bit.”

  
The rest of the group went to take their seats at the bar, Kureha counting the number of heads saddling up to the counter and preparing a round of shots. She knew them so well. 

  
As Luffy glared at Victoria Punk, who was sitting on the other side of the bar, slowly finishing their drinks before setting up for their set, Ace’s voice murmured in his ear, “Just say the word, Luf.”

  
He nodded. 

  
Sabo caught the exchange and rolled his eyes as he passed out the shots among the group, avoiding the designated drivers.

  
Luffy and Ace watched their brother expectantly.

  
He sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat, “Yeah, yeah, he’s right. We’ve got your back,” before lifting his shot glass and leading the group in a toast.

  
“Whatcha cheersing?” Apoo called from across the bar, his long braid swinging as he spun his body around to face the Straw Hats, “Technical difficulties?”

  
The other band burst into laughter, clinking their glasses together and downing the rest of their drinks as they settled up their tabs. 

  
“Assholes,” Usopp muttered, Vivi nodding along with narrowed eyes. 

  
Robin mused a soft, “They’re not worth it,” picking up where Sabo left off and gently knocking their shot glasses together. 

  
As they threw back their shots, they heard Hawkins drawl, “Perhaps they could record with sound like that and call it an original song.”

  
Zoro growled.

  
“That’s it!” Ace snarled, stepping forward. Sabo held him back.

  
Luffy felt the burn of tequila fuel the fire that was already raging inside him. He gasped as the strong liquid cleared his throat, and narrowed his eyes at Robin. The bassist met his gaze knowingly, and without hesitation nodded.

  
He wasted no time.

  
“OI! JAGGY!” Luffy marched over to the other side of the bar, his hands curled into fists and a challenge sparking in his dark eyes, “THAT WASN’T COOL!”

  
The gaunt blond who had just made the snide comment stood in front of Kid, his apathetic red eyes watching the teen with indifference. Urouge was laughing heartily, slamming a heavy hand on Killer’s back, the guitarist rocking forward from the immense force of the drummer’s movement. The band’s manager, Drake, was chuckling along with the rest of the group, though seemed significantly more reserved than the keyboardist seated next to him, as Apoo was quick to jump to Hawkins’ side. 

  
Kid peered over Hawkins’ ominous stare to grin smugly down at Luffy, taunting, “What are you talking about, Straw Hat?”

  
“You know exactly what we’re talking about, Kid,” Zoro growled, backing up Luffy and cracking his knuckles menacingly. 

  
“Well Roronoa, if you can’t handle the Heat,” Killer spoke in a deceptively level voice, jabbing a thumb in their sound tech’s direction, “Better stay out of the kitchen.”

  
Luffy was glad that Sanji was out for a smoke. He would have hated that line.

  
“We’re gonna kick your ass at the Battle of the Bands,” Luffy puffed out his chest in attempt to look intimidating, “Just you wait, Jaggy.”

  
Victoria Punk’s frontman took a long look at the two teens standing in front of his crew, at the associated group huddled in conversation at the other side of the bar, and at the two young adults who were nearly frothing at the mouth in between. He must have decided that he liked his odds, since he laughed loudly, sneering, “Yeah, with what songs? Even if you can write a song to enter, what are you going to record if you win? Face it. You’re not a real band. You’re just some shitty cover band made up of a talentless pretty boy, a child with undiagnosed ADHD, and a green gorilla with muscles for brains. The only redeeming part of watching you play is that that hot piece of ass on bass makes my di – _CK_!”

  
Zoro’s fist collided with Kid’s jaw at the exact moment that Luffy kneed him right where it counts most.

  
In a matter of seconds, chaos was upon them. 

  
Ace and Sabo practically hurdled bar stools to launch themselves directly into the fray, fists clenched and cranked back, waiting to be thrown at the closest target. There were shouts from the closer patrons, and familiar cries from Usopp and Vivi as they desperately held Franky back from getting involved. Brook seemed to be trying to diffuse the situation, insisting that they could ‘talk this out’. Luffy could have sworn he heard Nami and Chopper all the way from the merch table, screaming for them to stop. 

  
The protests were coming from the other side as well. Drake and Urouge were both attempting to pull Hawkins away from Sabo, who was using the slim man like a punching bag. Heat was calling out to Kid to ‘just let it go’. 

  
Drinks splattered across the bar top as glasses shattered, spraying Kureha with beer as she nonchalantly dialed the phone, speaking calmly into the receiver as if she was far too used to these sorts of shenanigans. Some burly looking regulars were trying to shoulder their way in between Apoo and Ace, attempting to avoid the fists of both men in the process.

  
Luffy had one hand tangled in Killer’s hair, holding the guitarist’s mask against the counter while he kicked out at Kid. The tall, broad man with the spiky red hair had Zoro in a headlock, and was cackling as the drummer squirmed in his grasp. Apoo had creatively decided to use his ridiculously long braid by hooking it around Ace’s head, bringing him in for a headbutt. There was a sickening _thud_! as the two skulls crashed together, though Ace remained standing for long enough to punch the other in the gut.

  
There was a screech of pain as Zoro bit down on Kid’s arm, drawing blood, and the Victoria Punk frontman released his grip, turning on his heel and walking directly into an uppercut from Luffy. 

  
The whole bar counter was a mess of limbs flailing towards the nearest opponent. Nobody dared risk getting to close, or they would be pulled into the ring. Luffy could taste blood, could feel pain in his chest. He was pretty sure his knuckles were destroyed. He looked over to Zoro to see the other teen hammering Kid with his fists…

  
And then everything went dark.

  
“EVERYBODY STOP OR I’M CALLING THE POLICE!”

  
The fight died in the inky shadows that enveloped the venue. There were shouts of discomfort and fear as all lights were distinguished, accompanied by hushed murmurs of reassurance. The rustling of clothing sounded around Luffy as Killer must have straightened up, shoving the former away as Luffy removed his hand from the latter’s head.

  
Once the hall was silent, save for nervous breathing, the power returned, illuminating the silhouette of a striking woman in the doorway to the bar. 

  
It was Shakky herself – Tall, sharp, and utterly terrifying. Her round eyes, slightly hooded by apparent boredom despite the situation, scanned the room slowly, taking in the entire scene. She ran a manicured hand through her dark, angular bob cut as she smirked menacingly at Victoria Punk and the Straw Hats.

  
“Now, what do we have here?”

  
“The Straw Hat pipsqueak started it!” Kid protested, large hand rubbing the reddening mark on his jaw.

  
“HEY! THAT’S NOT TRUE!” Luffy shouted, making an attempt to lunge towards the larger man. He felt Sabo’s hand grab his arm to hold him back.

  
“I don’t care who started it,” Shakky scowled, placing her hands on her hips in a truly intimidating pose. She radiated authority and confidence. No one was going to mess with the owner of the bar. “But I am going to finish it,” She threatened, opening her mouth to say something more before she was cut off.

  
“Miss Shakky,” Brook stepped forward, “I am terribly sorry for the disturbance this evening. You know how quick young blood boils, especially when rivalries are involved. Perhaps we can discuss consequences over a glass of wine while Victoria Punk plays their set?”

  
Shakky narrowed her eyes, “Mr. Sohl, it’s been decades since I was your student. I no longer need to listen to you.”

  
Brook nodded, his eyes flitting to the wedding ring on her finger before musing, “Though that is indeed true, I would like to remind you that Mr. Silvers is often keen to seek out my wisdom and personal advice. In fact, I can think of a specific time he needed some help eight years ago…”

  
Luffy heard Robin hiss a warning, but it was too late.

  
“MY HUSBAND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!” Shakky screeched, pointing a shaking finger at the elderly man, “How _dare_ you try to undermine my worth by involving something trivial like my relationship? In my own bar?!”

  
“My apologies, Miss Shakky,” Brook ducked his head, his afro bobbing frantically with the movement, mirroring the panic written on his face, “I am simply trying to approach this situation in a – ”

  
She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest, “That’s enough out of you, old man!” She rounded on the crowd of fighters by the bar, her gaze boring into Ace and Sabo specifically, “Hold on a moment… Weren’t you two banned last year?!”

  
Ace gulped. Sabo shuffled his feet.

  
“Look, Shakky, we have to play our set…” Killer was speaking in a level voice, though it was impossible to read his expression and intentions due to the mask that covered his face, “Please, we won’t act out again…”

  
“Unless these monsters come at us again, that is,” Kid grumbled, shoving a nearby Zoro with his palm, prompting the latter to snarl and grab a fistful of the red furry coat on Kid’s shoulders. 

  
“HEY! LEAVE ZORO ALONE, JAGGY!” Luffy shouted, trying to squirm out of Sabo’s grasp.

  
“THAT’S IT!” Shakky cried, gesturing to the crowd of fighters surrounding the bar, “YOU EIGHT ARE BANNED FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT! SHOW’S OVER! EVERYBODY OUT!”

  
Everything happened so fast. There was no time to regroup. One moment, Luffy was standing by the bar, growling at Sabo as his brother held him back, the next, he was getting shoved out of the venue in a stream of people rushing towards the door. Then, all of a sudden, he was in the van with his bandmates, not fully registering the conversations bubbling around him. Everyone was shouting. Someone was crying. What was going on?!

  
“LUFFY!” Zoro shook him by the shoulders, “Can you let everyone know to meet up in the parking lot of the 24 hour drug mart down the street from Shakky’s?”

  
Dazed, he simply nodded, digging his phone out of his pocket and starting a new group chat.

  * 9:28pm – **luffy** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _luffy created group_  
 _luffy named group_



  * 9:28pm – **luffy** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _Meet at 24 hour drug mart down street from bar_



  * 9:29pm – **nami** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _With Franky, Brook, Vivi and Usopp. Be right there. Chopper’s mom held him back._



  * 9:30pm – **sabo** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _In a cab with Ace. Already headed back to residence and dropping the spitfire at home. Sorry we kick too much ass 😅_



  * 9:30pm – **torao** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _Is anyone bleeding?_



  * 9:32pm – **sanji** in _**what just happened???**_  
 _Both idiots over here._



“What a terrible time to go for a smoke, am I right?” Sanji muttered from the passenger seat as he lifted his feet up onto the dash of the parked van, “Wish I could have gotten a piece of them.”

  
“Not now, Sanji,” Robin sighed, leaning her forehead against the steering wheel, clenching and unclenching her fingers against the tough leather. 

  
“Hey, there’s Franky,” Zoro grumbled, pulling open the sliding door of their Caravan just as the familiar SUV pulled up next to them. 

  
The five exited the vehicle, huddling around the open door of the van for warmth as a light snowfall began to rain down from the overcast night sky. Snowflakes sparkled as they were illuminated by the harsh artificial light pouring out of the large windows of the drug mart in front of which they were parked. Luffy considered that the setting fit the solemn atmosphere. 

  
Vivi winced as an extra frigid wind blew their way, clamoring into the van to squeeze herself between Luffy and Zoro on the bench. Despite the heat being cranked, it did little to fight the sub-zero temperature since the door was open so that they could converse. Had the back half of the vehicle not been packed with instruments and equipment, they would have been able to fit everybody inside, but that wasn’t the case, and they had to make do with what they had.

  
Franky pulled a fuzzy hat with ear warmers over his head, and Brook hummed a soft melody as he tugged on some thick gloves. Usopp and Nami were standing awfully close together, and Luffy considered that the buddy system was truly the best way to warm up. He hooked his chin over the fluffy hood of Vivi’s parka, snuggling closer to her as she shivered. Vivi had moved to Canada when she was very young, and though she had grown up experiencing the seasonal chill of winter, she had always had a lower tolerance to cold weather. 

  
Zoro clearly read his mind, as per usual, since he also scooched closer to the blue-haired girl between them. 

  
Her teeth stopped chattering after a while, and the silence that engulfed the group was deafening. 

  
The skid of tires broke the quiet moment, and Law exited the front seat of Penguin’s beat up Camry. He approached the open door of the van with a serious expression, golden eyes darting from Luffy’s bloodied knuckles, to Zoro’s busted lip, and the bruises that had already begun to form around their eyes. With a sigh, he turned to Nami and held out a hand, waiting.

  
“What?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at the lanky addition to their group.

  
“I’m not spending my own money to buy bandages for these morons,” Law hissed, “You have the ‘Band Fund’ or whatever, don’t you?”

  
Nami grumbled as she handed Law $20, “Something tell me we need to start saving it, though, because _SOMEBODY GOT US BANNED!_ ”

  
As Law dipped into the store to purchase whatever he needed to patch them up, they began to discuss the massive elephant that was frolicking around the parking lot. 

  
“What? Were we just supposed to let them say that shit?” Zoro argued. 

  
“Well, maybe! Not starting a fight would have been better!” Nami countered.

  
“You didn’t hear what he said,” Luffy growled, his throat vibrating against Vivi’s shoulder.

  
“Does it matter!? We got _banned_. Shakky’s is the only bar that hosts shows around here, and now you’re blacklisted! How am I supposed to work with showrunners once word gets out of this?! Nobody will want to book you! This could be the end of the fucking band, you absolute idiots!” Nami was fuming, throwing her hands around in dramatic gestures. Luffy was unsure if her face was tomato red due to anger or the weather. She stomped up to the entrance of the van and snarled right in Zoro’s face, “What could he possibly have said that deserved a knee to the crotch and a fist to the face, eh? Please! Enlighten me!” 

  
Zoro glared at her, vein throbbing in his forehead. Luffy had seen Zoro mad before, but this Zoro… this Zoro was _enraged_. 

  
“On top of calling Curly Brow, Luf, and I some stupid names? He said our only redeeming quality is that he can get off to Robin.” His level voice did not match the fury in his steely eyes.

  
“HE SAID _WHAAAAT_?!” Sanji shrieked, cigarette nearly falling from his mouth as it fell open in shock, “My dear Robin! How dare he say such disgusting things! You are an angel! A goddess! I apologize on behalf of my gender!”

  
Robin was quiet, staring at the cashiers cashing out customers through the windows in front of the van. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes seemed to glimmer more than usual. 

  
Nami opened and closed her mouth like a fish on land gasping for water. Vivi squeked a sound of disbelief. Usopp gasped. 

  
Brook and Franky frowned for a moment, before exchanging a glance. Franky turned his gaze onto Zoro and Luffy, speaking slowly, “Despite the shit-acular consequences, you bros did the right thing.”

  
Peering into the driver’s seat, Nami’s voice softened as she spoke, “Robin, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I take it all back.”

  
“It’s fine,” Robin’s typically smooth alto was quivering uncharacteristically, “Nothing Kid said matters.”

  
“But…still…” Usopp whispered, staring at the icy slush covering the dark gravel of the pavement. 

  
“We’re stronger than some words, right guys?” Robin put on a brave face and smiled at Sanji before shooting a grin over her shoulder to Zoro and Luffy.

  
“Yeah, as if getting banned is going to stop us,” Zoro smirked back.

  
Sanji said nothing.

  
As Law returned to the van with a handful of gauze, antiseptic, and bandages, swiftly wrapping up any damaged skin on Zoro and Luffy with surprising skill and instructing them on how to best treat their bruises, Luffy felt his mind was still stuck in the bar.

  
He couldn’t shake the words Kid had said. 

  
“ _Even if you can write a song to enter, what are you going to record if you win? Face it. You’re not a real band.”_

  
His friends were insistent that nothing Kid said had mattered. Though, he had been right, hadn’t he? They couldn’t make it as a cover band. They needed songs. Their own songs. They couldn’t be wasting time while slowly working towards creating one original. 

  
If Luffy really wanted to make it with the Straw Hats, he needed to step up.

  
They had to write some songs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cockwomble (noun) - A person, usually male, prone to making outrageously stupid statements and/or inappropriate behaviour while generally having a very high opinion of his own wisdom and importance 
> 
> WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO NOW?  
> Almost like the Battle of the Bands is more important now, HMMM?
> 
> I had so much fun writing this chapter - from Luffy's reaction to Law, to hipster Sabo, to ASSHOLE Kid (RIP Kid, I'm so sorry, you're just such an easy villain), to badass Shakky, to the sad drugmart trip.
> 
> Next week: Sanji has a good chat with Zeff, and Nami steals smoothies from her workplace.
> 
> Hit me up on [tumblr.](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com/) I'm always happy to meet new people <3
> 
> THANK YOU FOR READING <3 Feedback is always appreciated.  
> See you next week!


	11. MFEO - Part 1: Made for Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji vents his frustrations while shopping for a Secret Santa present, and Nami spills the tea with Brook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday!  
> The title is specifically part 1 of the song by Jack's Mannequin. Part 2 of the song shows up later. :)  
> Hope you enjoy!

Sanji considered December to be an emotionally turbulent month, and this year was no different. 

  
In fact, he thought that maybe this December would be the hardest of all, what with everything that was happening in his life.

  
The first thought that he had had when he woke up to see the date of Sunday, December 1st on his phone’s lock screen was that he should probably start his summative essay for his Philosophy class. This then had him considering the other cumulative assignments that he had for his semester of blow-off classes. He had to prepare a presentation on a subject of his choice for Home Economics (He had already decided to speak on the importance of a balanced meal plan), practice his clarinet part for the music piece Brook had selected for him, and film an educational video with Nami on what businesses should and should not do for their shared class. 

  
Contemplating his upcoming projects simply reminded him that exams were around the corner. A few weeks away, actually. The timeline curled icy fingers around his stomach, squeezing the warmth from his gut and sending him into a panic. It wasn’t the actual tests that concerned him, no. After all, he had graduated last year and was simply taking an optional semester primarily to spend time with his friends and run the Pop Choir. Even if he was concerned about passing his classes, he could opt to ‘retire’ from school days before exams, and his transcript would remain as squeaky clean as it was last year. 

  
Thus, it wasn’t the exams that made him nervous. It was what came _after_ the exams. 

  
He wouldn’t be returning for the next term, and he had no intention of attending post-secondary. He wanted to be a chef, and though there were culinary programs he could apply for, experience and skill were often valued at a higher level than education in this particular line of work. 

  
As of the New Year, he was going to be working fulltime under his father at _The Baratie_. 

  
It wasn’t like working at _The Baratie_ was a foreign concept. He had been working there part-time since he was legally old enough to get a job. He grew up in that kitchen, surrounded by sharp knives and burning ovens and steamers that seemed so harmless but somehow managed to cause the most injuries among the employees. He loved the hustle and bustle of the Back of House, the behind the scenes look at how a restaurant functioned like a well-oiled machine. 

  
He was genuinely excited to move from prep work to the line. His mother had always loved his cooking, especially his work with pastry. Her favourite dish was Sanji’s beef wellington, as she believed the flaky pastry represented her proficiency in baking, while the perfectly cooked sirloin was all thanks to her husband’s teachings. Of course, Zeff had held his hand, quite literally, through the preparation of the dish, for the last time he had cooked it for her, he had been 10 years old. In December. The night before she passed away. He made it every year, and each time the dish got better and better. 

  
Though he was a skilled cook, taught by Zeff himself on weekend mornings, his old man had been reluctant to give him a chance to shine at his restaurant. He was often stuck cutting vegetables, butchering proteins, and crafting sauces. Sanji believed that Zeff was simply afraid that he’d be outshone by his son. Thus, when Zeff agreed to give him more training if he moved to fulltime, Sanji had leapt at the opportunity. 

  
Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite sure how to tell his friends that he wouldn’t be around as much anymore.

  
That was going to open a whole other can of worms, wasn’t it?

  
Following Luffy and Zoro’s ban from _Shakky’s_ a week ago, the frontman of the Straw Hats had decided to take advantage of their now ample free time with no approaching shows, cracking down on Law and the band alike. It was hard to have a conversation with Luffy without the spunky teen asking if he had any song ideas, if there were any chord progressions he liked, if he, in Luffy’s words, “ever _loooooved_ anyone, because there are lots of good songs about love!”

  
For someone who didn’t seem to be contributing that much, he was demanding an awful lot from people who were not well versed in song writing. 

  
Except for Law. Luffy _should_ be hard on Law. The only reason the lanky teen was wrapped up in this is because he agreed to write a song for them, and all he had come up with were instrumentals, which, okay, were _really good_ , but vocals and lyrics were nowhere to be found. 

  
Sanji worried that this was backfiring, that it was making himself look bad. After all, he had been the one to recommend his Philosophy classmate and Pop Choir accompanist when the topic of song writing had first come up. It had been a guess that the notebook that Law was always scribbling in during class contained songs, but his assumption had turned out to be correct. He just hadn’t known it was going to take this damn long to get anywhere with him. And now Luffy wanted _more_. 

  
So, what was going to happen when Sanji told them all that he wasn’t going to be able to practice during the week? That he was only available on the weekends, when Robin typically worked unless they had a show, and Zoro spent his afternoons at the dojo?

  
He had a pretty good feeling that Luffy would tell him it was fine, that they would just practice with Law, not realizing the implications of that answer. 

  
How would Robin and Zoro react? Would they tell Luffy how it looked? Would they follow his lead?

  
Would Law agree to take his place while Sanji spent his time mastering his craft in the kitchen?

  
And the biggest question of all – Would Sanji be okay with that?

  
He threw his inconsistent answer on the top of his growing pile of worries.

  
The end of his high school career, the potential loss of his place in the band, the anniversary of his mother’s death, peppered with the beginning of the path towards his dream, the upcoming Christmas party with his best friends, and an overall joyous season, made the month of December one hell of a rollercoaster.

  
The frigid fingers froze his insides once more.

  
He wanted to vomit, to just puke out all his anxieties.

  
Maybe then he would have the answers that he was searching for.

  
“Oi, eggplant! You awake in there?”

  
His father was knocking at his door, and simultaneously knocking him out of his thoughts. 

  
“Leave me alone, ya shitty geezer!” Sanji grumbled, rolling from his stomach onto his side. His thin white t-shirt clung to his skin beneath the thick duvet that protected him from the much colder interior of his bedroom. 

  
He watched as the door rattled beneath Zeff’s persistent knocking. 

  
Blinking any remaining sleep out of his eyes, he yawned and called, “Gimme 15 minutes!”

  
He heard his father snort in exasperation, responding, “Fine, but you best be dressed and ready for breakfast!” 

  
As Zeff’s footsteps faded into the depths of their roomy two bedroom apartment, Sanji grabbed his phone, deciding to browse his social media for a few minutes in the warmth of his bedding. It wasn’t that his room was unbearably brisk by any means, but the difference between blankets and no blankets was significant. 

  
He blew the golden strands of hair out of the one eye he preferred remain visible as he scrolled through his Instagram, pausing to like a particularly cute photo of Nami and Robin having a girls’ spa day on this gloomy winter Sunday. They were both clad in fluffy bathrobes in a series of pictures that detailed their manicures, pedicures, and face mask treatments. The last photo had them in adorable, matching bikinis that they had bought together at the spa gift shop, lounging in a hot tub. Robin was clinking a champagne flute against Nami’s while the latter nibbled on a chocolate covered strawberry.

  
His heart was overwhelmed with affection for his two lovely ladies.

  
The rest of him, however, felt nothing. 

  
He was more concerned about whether Nami had blown their entire Band Fund on the spa in retaliation for Luffy and Zoro handicapping their ability to book shows (not that he disagreed with their actions).

  
Which just reminded him that he had missed another opportunity to see Ace in action. He wondered if his eyes lit with the fire of a challenge as he leapt across the bar and lunged at the members of Victoria Punk. He wondered how he had sounded as he had shouted at Apoo. Luffy had told him that he had managed to remain standing after a killer headbutt. Did his tan skin flush as heated blood ran through his veins? Did he smile with his teeth when he stood by his brother’s side and backed him up? Did his muscles flex when he threw his arm back and prepared a punch?

  
“Ugh…” Sanji groaned, flopping onto his back and dragging a hand across his face, “Why me?!”

  
He continued to scroll through his feed, stopping when he noticed a post from the Straw Hats. It was a photo of himself and Nami at the merch table from last week. There was a preteen girl standing in front of them, and Sanji recalled that she had been asking for his autograph on her Straw Hats sticker while she purchased a t-shirt. Nami was pictured holding up the girl’s size, with a big grin on her face, while Sanji was captured candidly reaching out for the sticker, a warm smile gracing his lips and his eyes narrowed in pure joy. He looked so happy. 

  
He sighed. Why was it that Chopper always knew how to hit him right in the feels without even being present?

  
Dragging himself out of bed, he shivered in the absence of the linens, hugging his arms around his slender frame. He stumbled to the closet across the small room that contained the basics: A bed, a desk, a computer, an acoustic guitar, and multiple posters on the ugly yellow walls. He kept his desk tidy, his recipe books arranged neatly in an alphabetical stack in the left hand corner. His clothes were always folded and put away in the appropriate places as soon as they were washed. His brain was messy enough as it was, he didn’t need that tendency to spill out to the real world. 

  
After he had tugged on a pair of burgundy pants, a grey shirt, and a white sweater, he made his bed and trotted out of his room and into the kitchen to meet his father.

  
“Alright, I’m here, ya old shit,” He grumbled, yawning through his words, “What d’ya want?”

  
Zeff raised a golden eyebrow at his sleepy son, “I was going to whip up some eggs benedict. Figured you could show me your hollandaise sauce.”

  
Sanji nodded, his adrenaline waking him up as he accepted the challenge. He loved showing off his skills to his old man. He would show him the best hollandaise he had ever tasted.

  
Cracking three eggs into a stainless steel bowl, he placed a pot of water on the stove top, setting the burner to high and whisking the whites and yolks together while he waited for the water to boil. He chopped up cubes of butter and placed them in a container with a spout for pouring, microwaving them until they were melted. He paused for a moment, allowing the butter to cool to the point that it was still liquid, yet not overly hot. 

  
Zeff watched him, blue eyes narrowed, examining his every fluid movement.

  
Once the water was bubbling, rolling around the steaming pot, he placed the bowl with the eggs over top, avoiding cutting off the air flow so that it wouldn’t boil over. He tempered the eggs over the double boiler until they were cooked to a thick consistency, slowly incorporating the melted butter in a thin stream. It was important that the butter was the perfect temperature, for too cold would curdle the eggs, and too hot would overcook them. Eventually, a creamy yellow sauce was whisked to life, and Sanji shot a smug grin at his father.

  
“Oi, where’re the eggs?” He asked.

  
“Haven’t made them yet,” Zeff responded cheekily. 

  
Sanji blinked, “The sauce is gonna die.”

  
Zeff smirked, “Guess you should have asked about a timeline before you leapt into action, little eggplant. Better keep that sauce alive while I make us brunch.”

  
“Shitty geezer,” Sanji cursed under his breath, more irritated with himself for falling for the trick in the first place. He kept the sauce over the boiling pot, yet tried to regulate the temperature as much as possible, whisking continuously to prevent it from splitting. 

  
“So,” Zeff started as he popped two english muffins into the toaster and getting all up in Sanji’s personal space as he began to fry four slices of Canadian bacon in a pan, “Semester’s almost done, eh?”

  
“Mhmm,” Sanji hummed, “Looks like you’ll be stuck with me more often soon.”

  
“You doing your little friend Christmas party this year?”

  
“Yup.”

  
“Is there going to be mistletoe?” Zeff grinned, gesturing for Sanji to lift his bowl so he could poach the eggs in the already boiling pot of water.

  
“I suppose so,” Sanji muttered, eyes glued to his hollandaise, “Nami gets really into themes.”

  
“That’s the one with the fiery hair, right?” four eggs were cracked into the bubbles.

  
“Yes, you dick. You’ve met our sweet Nami, like, a hundred times,” He scoffed. His wrist was starting to hurt from all the whisking.

  
“Do you plan on trying to kiss her?” 

  
Sanji choked on air, forgetting how to breath for a moment.

  
Relax. Calm down. Focus on the whisking, you idiot. Don’t let the sauce split.

  
“No, Nami – although stunning in her beauty – is not my type,” His voice did not betray him. He did not sound nearly as stressed as he felt.

  
Zeff grunted an acknowledgement, and then let the topic die. There was no judgment in his eyes as he grinned at his son while he plated their breakfast, fixing a little mixed greens salad as a side. Pushing the plates to the counter at which they ate, he gestured to Sanji while he fetched cutlery.

  
Sanji gently blanketed the eggs with a hearty helping of hollandaise, garnishing them with a pinch of pepper and a sprig of parsley.   
They began to eat their meal in silence. 

  
At least, he was sure Zeff’s meal was quiet. Sanji’s was filled with internal screaming.

  
Should he tell his father?

  
He was awfully close to coming to terms with it. Perhaps all he needed was some external validation. 

  
Zeff, though rugged on the outside and in possession of one hell of a sailor’s mouth (where else had Sanji gotten it?) was a softie at heart. He had no doubt that he would love his son regardless, but would he be able to accept him? Sanji had gone his whole life being taught that women were special, that they would change your life for the best, that the love between a man and a woman was unlike anything he would ever feel.

  
What if Sanji didn’t believe he’d ever feel that way? Would Zeff be ashamed of him? Would he get mad? Would he push him away and shut him out? Or brush it off and pretend the conversation never happened?

  
There was a perfect opening. If not now when? 

  
He was getting so sick of the voice in his head, to the point that he may have restarted the conversation just to get it to _shut up._

  
“Um, I do have a type though…” Sanji started, poking at his salad with his fork.

  
The sun shining through the nearby window seemed too bright. Too hopeful.

  
Zeff squinted through the rays, “Good. I was starting to worry about you. 19, a hell of a looker, and you ain’t never brought a lady friend over.”

  
“A gentleman wouldn’t take a lady to his father’s apartment in the first place,” He snapped back, instinctually on the defense. He steadied himself with a deep breath in, “But actually, uh…”

  
His father raised an eyebrow, “Spit it out, eggplant.”

  
Sanji was suddenly very interested in shoving a mass amount of lettuce in his mouth, chewing as slow as possible. He stared at his company across the counter, heart pounding against his chest. He still had an out. He didn’t have to do this now.

  
But what would procrastination change?

  
Zeff’s gaze softened as he watched the internal struggle through Sanji’s pale irises. “You can’t surprise me, kiddo.”

  
“I think… No, I know,” Sanji corrected himself, ignoring the way his fork was nearly vibrating out of his hand, “That my type is… well, men.”

  
He had expected Zeff to be silent. That came as no surprise. He had known there would have been a moment during which his father would have to process the information. He had even expected shouts, or tears of disappointment. 

  
Sanji sat there, waiting for the anger, the shame, or, worst case scenario, the disownment. 

  
What he hadn’t expected, however, was Zeff frowning in thought before chiming, “Well I suppose there are other ways to get grandkids.”

  
“WHAT?!”

  
Zeff blinked, “Adoption is an option, or you could use an egg donor.”

  
Sanji felt his skin burning beneath his father’s expectant gaze. His face was probably darker than his pants.

  
“So,” He mumbled, back to stabbing his food, “You don’t mind?”

  
“Mind? Eggplant, I’m happy for you!” Zeff chortled heartily, shoving a mouthful of egg past his braided moustache and into his mouth, “All I care about is grandkids. I’m serious about the grandkids. Who am I going to cook for when you’re grown up and gone?”

  
Sanji huffed, “You make me cook for you most of the time.”

  
“Learning opportunity, kiddo.”

  
Rolling his eyes, yet unable to contain the elated grin that stretched across his lips, he stood to clear their empty plates. He was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet while he rinsed the dishes off in the sink, shimmying his hips in a happy little dance while he loaded the dishwasher.

  
The weight off his chest was substantial.

  
He felt so light, so free!

  
In a spur of the moment, spontaneous decision, he whipped out his phone and tapped out a message. He was surprised to receive an answer right away.

  * 10:15am – **sanji**  
_Rise and shine!_ ☀️



  * 10:16am – **fireball**  
_Aren’t Sundays for sleeping until noon?_



  * 10:16am – **sanji**  
_Old man woke me up. What’s your excuse?_



  * 10:17am – **fireball**  
_I warned you that my sleeping patterns are messed._  




He was trying to decide the best way to word his thoughts, leaning on the kitchen counter while Zeff read the morning paper across from him as he erased and retyped the same sentence three different times.

  
It caught him off guard when his phone vibrated in his hand.

  * 10:20am – **fireball**  
_Haven’t heard from you in a while. You doing okay?_



  * 10:22am – **sanji**  
_That’s a loaded question._ 😓



  * 10:23am – **fireball**  
_I was about to go for a drive. Can I pick you up?_



  
Thirty minutes later and Sanji was lacing up his winter sneakers (yes, waterproof sneakers with extra tread for ice and snow), pulling on a black jacket and checking his hair in the mirror attached to the coat rack. He thumbed a cigarette out of the carton and placed it in his mouth. Just chewing on the butt helped ease his nerves until he was out of the apartment complex and able to light up.

  
“Oi! Shitty geezer!” Sanji called as he went to open the door, “I’m going out with a friend!”

  
“This the boy?!” Zeff hollered back, “Let me meet him!”

  
“SHUT UP, IT’S JUST LUFFY!” He yelped, his voice uncharacteristically high as he lied. 

  
His father’s head popped around the wall to the kitchen, “If it was Luffy, you would have said you were going out with Luffy.”

  
Sanji scowled as he tore open the door to the hallway, letting the door slam behind him as Zeff shouted, “BE SAFE, EGGPLANT! USE PROTECTION! AND PERSONAL LUBRICANT!”

  
His face was still burning by the time he exited the building, grateful, for once, for the cold winter chill against his heated skin. He had time to smoke a cigarette before a familiar vehicle pulled up in front of him, though his skin had yet to calm down in the slightest.

  
“You look awfully red there, Swirly,” Ace chuckled as he climbed into the passenger seat of the orange jeep, which was thankfully now decked out with a roof and doors for the winter. 

  
“The old man has zero boundaries,” He grumbled as he clicked his seatbelt into place, before stuttering, “W-wait, S-Swirly?! You get that from the moss-head?!”

  
Ace pulled out of the lot, one hand on the wheel and the other tapping his temple as he grinned, “Nah, came up with that one by myself.”

  
“Your betrayal runs deep,” Pouting, Sanji sunk low against the leather seat, “Guess it’s still me against the world, after all.”

  
"Oh c’mon! It’s a term of endearment!” The freckled man insisted, turning onto the main road of Sabaody, lined with various restaurants, fast food establishments, outlet shops, and locally owned businesses, “I like your eyebrow. Does the other one spiral too?”

  
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” He smirked in response, keeping his eyes on the passing storefronts, “Where are we going?”

  
“The mall okay? We can stretch our legs and talk about whatever’s on your mind.”

  
Sanji nodded, “Fair warning, I’m going to bitch about your brother.”

  
Ace shrugged as he pulled into the parking lot, snagging a space right in front of the attached cinema, “I would have been surprised if you _didn’t,_ especially since the bar fight and the banning and…”

  
There was a beat before he laughed, “Oh yeah, that was my fault too.”

  
Sanji jokingly reached out his hands to mock throtle the other man, growling, “Why, you little – ”

  
With lightning reflexes, Ace was already outside jeep, sticking his tongue out at Sanji as the latter stumbled out of the vehicle. With a touch of a button, the doors were locked and the former was sprinting towards the entrance of the mall, shouting, “YOU’LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST, SWIRLY!”

  
He was wearing shorts and a sweater. On December 1st. In Canada. Sometimes it was so hard to believe that Ace and Luffy weren’t blood-related. It was almost as if Garp had simply raised the boys to be completely indifferent to temperature. If that was the case, it was extremely impressive.

  
Sanji beamed wildly as he chased him across the pavement. 

  
They reached the doors at the same time, panting lightly.

  
“You’re fast,” Ace stated.

  
“Soccer captain for most of high school,” Sanji explained. 

  
“That explains your legs for days,” Ace flashed a charming smile and the blond thought he was going to melt into a puddle of goo right then and there.

  
He wouldn’t mind that much. He would die happy.

  
Of course, that happiness would be fleeting, for it would simply remind him of all the things he could have done with Ace that he hadn’t yet had a chance to do, and then _that_ would bring back the problems that he had to solve first before he could afford any bit of happiness. Man, he wished more people would have warned him that growing up sucks.

  
“So what’s up?” Ace prompted, hands in the pockets of his sweater, dark eyes watching him intently as they wandered the linoleum hallways of the sprawling shopping center. Fake trees and plants, decked out in seasonal bulbs and lights, dotted spaces in between stores, and plenty of benches were accessible to those who were waiting for shoppers, or simply needed to rest. Customers of various ages were perusing the front windows and festive displays, dipping in and out of stores, and lining up at food stalls. Mariah Carey’s _All I Want for Christmas is You_ was playing at a, thankfully, tolerable level from overhead speakers. The smell of cinnamon, but sweeter, hung in the air, like the scent embodiment of a warm hug. 

  
“Stop being drawn in by the sorcery of the Cinnabon and tell me what’s on your mind,” The freckled man scolded playfully, winking along with his words.

  
Sanji blinked and shook his head, “I just don’t know what I’m _doing_.”

  
“Well, that’s vague. You could argue that you’re hanging out with me.”

  
“Yeah, and I’m starting to regret that decision.”

  
“Harsh, Swirly.”

  
“Fight me, _Fireball_.”

  
“See? That’s cute. We’re cute.” 

  
Sanji was blushing profusely, unsure if he wanted to scream at Ace to stop, or continue their flirty banter. Was the other man even flirting with him? He definitely was, right? How embarrassing would it be if he had misread the whole situation though? What if Ace simply felt comfortable teasing him because they had known each other for a while, because Luffy was one of Sanji’s close friends?

  
“I came out to my dad today,” Sanji sighed, trying to time his steps so that his shoe landed in the center of the next square of linoleum on the ground. Sometimes he thought that his mom had died because he had stepped on a crack, and therefore broken her back.

  
“Oh, really?” Ace’s eyes widened, “How did that go?”

  
Sanji shrugged, “Surprisingly well. I was expecting him to be furious. That man, like, worships women. But he said he’s happy that I figured myself out, I guess.”

  
“Hey, that’s great!” A strong, reassuring hand clapped his shoulder, causing Sanji’s heart to stutter, “I haven’t even told Gramps yet and I’m two years ahead of you in all this.”

  
“Do Luffy and Sabo know?” Sanji asked, genuinely surprised.

  
“Oh yeah, as if they would care,” Ace chuckled, “I’m honestly just too lazy to deal with Gramps getting all suspicious about who I hang out with. He’d probably make me keep my bedroom door open when I have friends over, or something dumb like that. I figured I would tell him if it ever came up, but well, we don’t really discuss this stuff.”

  
“That makes sense.”

  
“But if everything went well with your dad, what’s bothering you?”

  
“I suppose I don’t know how to tell the loveable gang of idiots, if I even want to,” Sanji mumbled, noticing that there was an obscenely long line at the pop-up wrapping station up ahead, “Oh hey, I need to get a Secret Santa present for the shitty drummer.”

  
“You know where you should go for that? The mall.”

  
He rolled his eyes, “Thanks for your wisdom, dumbass.”

  
“Hey, respect your elders,” Ace chided, nudging his shoulder with his own. 

  
Sanji found that he was getting more comfortable in the other man’s presence, that he was finding it unbelievably easy to converse naturally with him, just as it had been at Luffy’s _boys night._ Though anxious adrenaline was pumping through his veins, keeping his internal temperature perhaps a little toasty, he was relatively at ease. Maybe talking this out with Ace would really help quell his worries.

  
“So? Why don’t you want to tell them?” Ace prodded, turning right when they hit a fork in the road, guiding them towards the food court.

  
“I feel very… disconnected from them right now,” Sanji admitted. It felt weird to say the words out loud. Before he could regret it, everything came spewing out of him, “Everything was fine, you know? And then all of a sudden, I’m coming to terms with my sexuality at the same time as I feel like I’m being pushed out of the band, and now I’m not going to be around much _at all_ because of work, and… and… What do you do when everything you’ve ever known is crumbling apart?”

  
“Okay…” Ace pulled him into a funky shop that seemed to specialize in unique gifts, “Let’s talk band stuff first. Why do you feel like you’re being pushed out? Is it because of Trafalgar?”

  
Sanji’s fingers grazed the prickles of a cactus on the back shelf of the shop, “Yeah. I was the one who recommended we ask him for help in the first place, and now Luffy seems to love him so goddamn much. I hate how jealous it makes me. And now they’re writing without me, but they haven’t gotten very far, so I don’t get what’s so special about _Torao_ , other than the simple fact that he’s better than me. Like, I _know_ I’m good. But he’s a better guitarist and he’s got a better voice and him and Luffy just fuckin’ _light up_ when they’re playing together. I guess it makes me feel like I’m not good enough anymore.”

  
“I taught Luffy how to harmonize, you know. It took forever, you know how his attention span is. And I’ll never forget that wonderful smile he gave me when we finally figured out. But, now I just feel like this extra body that Luffy doesn’t care to have around. And Robin and Zoro, well, it’s not like they’re voicing concerns about how things are going or anything.”

  
Ace stayed right by his side as he rambled, pretending to look at prices for various knick knacks, though Sanji was fully aware that all of his attention was on his words. 

  
“So, my classes and lunch period are what’s keeping me tied to everyone, save for Robin and Franky,” Sanji exhaled slowly, “What happens when I’m not there anymore? What happens when I don’t have time to practice?”

  
“And? What’s the worst case scenario?” Ace waited as he lifted a miniature gargoyle statuette from its base, running tan fingers over the intricately carved details.

  
“Worst case? I guess I lose all my friends and Law takes my place in the band because I’m too busy.”

  
Ace was quiet for a moment. He traded the gargoyle with Barbie doll. The statue looked extremely out of place in the pink toy house display. “Sanji,” He spoke slowly, “I’m going to level with you. There is a very slim chance you will lose your friends. If I know those idiots, they will _make_ time for you. Hell, if Luffy has to go to The Baratie every day to see you, he will, and he’ll empty the whole fridge with his appetite again. That, I don’t think you need to worry about.”

  
His eyes were sympathetic as he frowned, “The band, however, I think is a fair worry. I don’t know if I can give you the right advice now, because I think you need to see how working fulltime goes first. Maybe everything will work out fine and you’ll be able to adjust the practice schedule. Who knows. But why worry about it right now when everything might be okay?”

  
Sanji nodded, “That’s… actually pretty sound.”

  
“Talking out of my ass over here.”

  
“Good thing it’s so fine.”

  
Sanji clamped his mouth shut, absolute horror across his face as the vibrant blush returned to his cheeks. Oh my god, why did he say that?

  
“Hey, why don’t you write a song about all of this?” Ace ducked his head away, surprising Sanji, as he had expected the freckled man to chuckle and shoot back some other flirty joke. 

  
Oh no, had he said the wrong thing?

  
“Yeah, maybe I will…” He murmured, “Thanks, Ace.”

  
“Don’t thank me yet, Swirly,” Ace’s grin was brighter than ever as he turned back to Sanji, his face slightly tanner than before, “Thank me in twenty seconds when I show you the perfect gift for Zoro.”

***

  
  
Nami sucked on her Matcha Mania, leaning on the green and pink speckled counter of _FroYo-Yo_. She was always one to take advantage of free things, and the access to smoothies and frozen yogurt while working seemed only natural. Was it explicitly stated in the employee handbook that theft would be met with dismissal? Yes. Did the pages also outline the staff discount of a measly 25% off? Of course. 

  
In the scenario that she was caught, she was prepared to argue that the colourful stall didn’t offer her much else – just look at her horrendous uniform! A banana visor and a red polyester polo fashioned to look like a strawberry? How unflattering. Not to mention just how bored she was the majority of the time. It wasn’t like the chilly winter brought in booming business to the frozen yogurt stand, and only one employee was scheduled at a time to make up for the slow season. 8 hours alone deserved more than 25% off a mediocre snack.

  
The least they could give her was a goddamn free smoothie every now and then. 

  
Especially now that, as of today, she was to be subjected to terrible Christmas music over the mall’s loudspeaker for the entirety of her shift. She idly wished she worked with Usopp. He was so quick on his feet that he had somehow convinced his manager to let him wear headphones – as long as they did not hinder his communication with customers – in order to showcase just how stylish Wal-Mart’s new model was. In truth, he had just wanted to drown out the holiday tunes. 

  
She was tempted to call him a lucky jerk, but the truth was that he had outsmarted all of his management team yet again. Although, it still didn’t surpass his last success, in which he had convinced all of his superiors that playing _Ghost of Tsushima_ throughout the entirety of his shift actually improved television sales, as he was able to really showcase the HD colour quality of the screens. 

  
He had said that the protagonist of the video game sounded an awful lot like Zoro. She had assumed he meant that their friend resembled the samurai. 

  
“Good afternoon, Miss Nami. I was hoping you would be working today.”

  
Hazelnut eyes darted up from the green depths of her beverage to meet round spectacles and equally round hair. 

  
“Oh! Brook!” Nami smiled, “Thank god you’re here. Please keep me company.”

  
He bowed dramatically, folding his tall, thin body in half as he nodded solemnly, “It would be a pleasure to pass the time with such a vibrant youth. This old bag of bones needs a healthy dose of tea.”

  
“Tea as in the beverage? ‘Cause I make a mean Matcha Mania,” She shook the smoothie in her hands, “Or tea as in some fresh gossip?”

  
Brook wasted no time in placing payment down on the counter, musing, “I suppose I’ll indulge and go for both. Spill it, girl.”

  
“Okay, well, the smoothie is vanilla fro-yo, matcha powder, tangerines, mango, banana, and pineapple juice,” She explained as she threw the ingredients into a blender, spooning the fine green powder in last, “As for gossip, Vivi says that she saw Jewelry Bonney at the grocery store on Friday, and apparently she got her number!”

  
“Yo ho ho! I wasn’t aware they were acquainted!”

  
Nami held up a finger in the universal gesture of ‘one moment’ as she started the blender, ice and ingredients whirring to life in a crushing cacophony of noise. She waited until the beverage was a pale green, one that just so happened to match the general colour palate of the stall, before pouring it into a plastic cup and sealing it with an airtight lid. 

  
“They weren’t, but Vivi’s been crushing on her for ages,” She slid the smoothie across the counter, motioning for Brook to take a seat on the bench next to _FroYo-Yo_. It was conveniently built into the side of the stand, as part of a partially enclosed sitting space with a handful of chairs and small tables, surrounded by decorative plants. It was perfect for friends to lounge on the bench, while employees leaned against the counter and chattered away. 

  
“Please,” Brook made himself comfortable, brushing the branches of a fake fichus out of his afro, “Do enlighten me with the tale.”

  
“Okay so,” Nami nibbled on her straw, “Bonney has always been this, like, _unattainable_ crush for Vivi. Almost like a celebrity crush, but less extreme, obviously. Especially since Vi is turning 18 in February and Bonney is 23 – it’s not like they can casually bump into each other at school or anything, and she’s always been too chicken to approach her at a show, right?”

  
She put her smoothie down so that she could speak more animatedly, with her hands, “So she’s out grocery shopping with her dad, and Mr. Nefertari sends her to go pick out some frozen pizzas for when she’s on her own. She picks up a couple in the freezer section, and goes to walk away, when she hears someone shout, ‘HEY! Someone took the last margherita pizza!’”

  
“The plot thickens! My old heart can hardly take the anticipation!” Brook giggled, giddily hanging on to Nami’s every word, “Yo ho ho!”

  
“She turns around and _BAM_! Bonney’s all up in her face looking like she’s about to punch her lights out!” She punched the air as an accent, “But then she stops, and says, ‘Hold on, do I know you?’ And Vivi is like, ‘Um, no, you don’t.’ Then Bonney says, ‘No, I do. You’re always in the front row at our shows. You know all the words to our songs.’”

  
Brook’s jaw dropped, “Oh my _goodness_! She recognized her!”

  
Nami nodded enthusiastically, “ _RIGHT_?! So Vivi blushes like an idiot and is super flustered, and then Bonney just smirks at her and – get this – tells her that she’ll give her her number _in exchange for the margherita pizza.”_

  
“Eek! So? What happened next?” The music teacher was gripping his smoothie tightly between two boney hands, his excitement knocking at least ten years off his age.

  
“Nothing yet,” She shrugged, “C’mon, it’s _Vivi_. She’ll probably never actually text her, but at least it did happen… Hey, is that Sanji?”

  
Her companion blinked, craning his head to follow her gaze past a potted plant covered in tinsel and bulbs. 

  
Sure enough, the familiar blond was wandering out of the novelty gift store across the hall from FroYo-Yo, clutching a cylindrical object wrapped in packing paper close to his chest. He paused at the entrance to the store, as if waiting for somebody, tugging a cigarette out of his pocket and placing it behind his ear. Cradling whatever he had purchased in one arm, he used his free hand to scroll through his phone.

  
“What do you think he has there?” Brook mused, “Looks like something fragile.”

  
“Secret Santa maybe?” Nami guessed, “Maybe he has my name and he bought me something expensive!”

  
They watched, unashamed, as Sanji hung in the doorway to the store. It wasn’t long before another recognizable face stepped out of the store, a bag around his wrist and his hands shoved in the pockets of his sweater. He wore a cheery smile on his face as he said something to Sanji, prompting the latter to grin and nod. They walked shoulder to shoulder down the curving hall, Nami and Brook never taking their eyes away until the two were out of sight.

  
“Was that… Ace?!” Nami blinked, her mouth falling open in shock, “Why would Sanji be hanging out with Luffy’s brother?!”

  
“Perhaps Sanji has Luffy for Secret Santa, and recruited Ace to help him?” Brook reasoned, always the logical one. He sipped loudly from his smoothie.

  
Nami cringed at the slurping noise, “Yeah… I guess that would make sense. Though, something fragile? For Luffy?”

  
“I suppose we’ll simply have to wait for the 24th to find out,” He sighed, “We can add it to our running list of questions.”

  
“How many does that make now?”

  
“Let’s see,” Brook pulled up a running list on his cellphone that they had been compiling throughout their gossip sessions when he visited her at work, “We have… What ‘the eff’ is going on with Zoro and Robin?”

  
“For real,” Nami nodded.

  
“Why has Sanji been so upset lately?”

  
She flicked her wrist, “I mean, we’re all wondering it. I don’t understand why he won’t just give us a straight answer.”

  
“Why does Luffy like Torao so much?”

  
“He’s talented, but I smell something else going on,” She narrowed her eyes.

  
“Will Franky accidentally set something on fire on the 24th?”

  
“The odds are high.”

  
“Will _Usopp_ accidentally set something on fire on the 24th?”

  
“Even higher.”

  
“Who was the girl in Chopper’s grade that he was studying with at lunch?”

  
“Innocent crushes are the cutest.”

  
“What’s Torao’s deal?”

  
“Ugh,” She leaned against the counter, “We’ll probably never crack that one. He’s probably just a sociopath or something.”

  
“And now we’ve got…” There was a tapping noise as Brook slowly spoke along with his typing, “Why was Sanji at the mall with Ace?”

  
“Sounds like we’ve got a lot of sleuthing to do,” Nami declared, setting her hands on her hips and fixing her music teacher with a determined glare, “You up for the challenge?”

  
“I cannot promise I will live long enough to see it through, Miss Nami, but I will certainly try my best. Yo ho ho!” Brook trilled, standing from the bench and walking back to the front of the stall.

  
“Brook, chill, you’re not _that_ old. You’re like, what? 60? You’ve got a good… 5 or 6 years left,” Nami teased.

  
“Oh my dear, with my lifestyle? I’ll be lucky to make it to the end of this year. Alas, if I’m going to go down, I’ll go down unlocking these secrets purely for our enjoyment.”

  
Nami smiled. Her little hang out sessions with the elderly man were always the highlight of her shift. He was such an odd, eccentric man. Sometimes he was serious, quick to give out important advice, and at other times, he was an absolute goofball. It was the perfect balance for a teacher, and she completely understood why the student body adored their friend so much. 

  
“What time is your shift over?” Brook tapped his fingers against the counter.

  
“In an hour, but Usopp’s giving me a lift home,” She answered, turning away to wipe down the blender with sanitizer.

  
“Ah, is Usopp working right now?”

  
“Nope, but he’s cool to pick me up most of the time. He knows that Belle-Mere is too busy with her weekend gig waiting tables, and she has the car, so it’s not like Nojiko can come get me. Plus, transit doesn’t run to my house since it’s so out of the way,” She explained casually, dropping her cleaning cloth in the sink.

  
Brook watched her thoughtfully, “That is awfully… kind of Usopp.”

  
Nami shrugged, “Usopp is a kind person. I mean, he specifically got his license so that his mom could spend more time resting instead of driving, and is always happy to help any of us out.”

  
“I do not believe I have heard of him ever picking Sanji up from work.”

  
Nami narrowed her eyes, “Sanji works with his father. It’s different.”

  
Brook smiled knowingly, “It _is_ different.”

  
With a light wave, the tall man bid her adieu and sauntered away from the stall, leaving Nami to stew in her thoughts for an hour before she got to take off this stupid uniform. 

  
She had been avoiding thinking much about who she had now decided was her best friend (along with Vivi, but she determined that he was definitely at the same rank) since the Halloween dance at school. It wasn’t like she was physically going out of her way to minimize their interactions or anything. Of course, that was nearly impossible considering their support positions in the band, and their close proximity at the lunch table, and the simple fact that she really did need a ride home from work. Even if she had started to limit conversation with the teen, her other friends would certainly notice and call her out on it, right? 

  
Thus, it made most sense to just pretend that everything was normal.

  
To pretend that he hadn’t impressed her in such a strangely intimate, yet innocent, way by proving that he cared to notice her at all times. 

  
To pretend that he hadn’t slipped and told her that he thought she always looked pretty.

  
To pretend that he didn’t glow when they were dancing with their friends, that his smile didn’t stir something inside of her. 

  
Besides, it wasn’t like anything had really changed between them. The next day, Usopp had greeted her just as cheerily as he always did when she slid into the passenger seat of his car in the morning. He had even let her choose the music without arguing. Everything seemed fine. Completely normal.

  
Then, there was the way that he had shuffled close to her while they were huddled in the parking lot after the disastrous show last week. She had been shivering in her winter jacket and he had shot her this look. This _look_ that she had never seen from him before. It was equal parts shy and protective, as if he was pushing aside nerves because he was more concerned about her comfort. He had wound his arm around her waist, pulling her so close that he had been able to slip his hand into her jacket pocket, twining his fingers with hers. 

  
No one had bat an eye.

  
It was cold. Nami hadn’t had a hat or gloves like Franky or Brook. Vivi had been snuggling with Zoro and Luffy. It had been for warmth that Usopp had wrapped himself around her, and that was all. 

  
But he had held her hand, and nobody had known.

  
Thinking about it only made her confused and anxious, so she opted to just _not_ think about it. 

  
At least, she hadn’t been pondering the situation in the slightest until Brook had brought it up and now she was nervous-cleaning the stall as her shift came to an end. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed that she had instinctively thrown the contents of Usopp’s go-to smoothie into a blender. 

  
As Rebecca, coincidentally the sound technician for Cherry Bomb, arrived to take over for the evening shift, Nami grabbed the beverage she had crafted, shoved her visor into her shoulder bag, and shrugged on her coat. She practically sprinted through the food court to reach the nearest parking lot. She couldn’t wait to get home and lose herself in many attempts to book a band that was now banned from the one main venue in town.

  
Oh wait, yeah, she could wait. 

  
Usopp grinned as she plopped herself down in the front seat of the Honda Civic, teasing, “Ah yes, your knight in shining armor has arrived, for the Great Captain Usopp is here to whisk you away from the evil yogurt stand!”

  
“Only a dorky knight would wear armor that shines like a disco ball,” Nami joked, “I never understood the appeal of shimmery armor. Wouldn’t they want to blend in? Camouflage?”

  
“If standing out gets me a Funky Monkey smoothie every day, then I’ll take the arrow to the knee,” He chuckled, sipping at the beverage the moment Nami passed it to him. 

  
She buckled her seatbelt as he pulled out of the parking lot, commencing the half hour drive to her place. She grabbed his phone from the unoccupied cup holder and unlocked it with her fingerprint, which had been registered in his phone the moment he got his license.

Swiping through his music library, she chose a song and leaned her head against the seat as Grouplove’s _Tongue Tied_ swelled from the speakers. 

  
“How was your shift?” Usopp asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, eyes on the road. 

  
“Boring.”

  
“Damn. Text me next time. I’ll come keep you company,” He flashed her a cheerful smile.

  
“Brook swung by, so it wasn’t all bad.”

  
“What’s our favourite senile old man got to say?” 

  
“He says it’s _very kind_ that you drive me everywhere,” She mused, staring out the window at the snowy landscape. They were making their way out of the core of Sabaody, towards the outskirts where her house lay nestled in farmland. 

  
“It’s nothing, really!” He squeaked, his voice jumping up an octave.

  
“I’m sure I could ask Franky or Brook to help out, you know. They wouldn’t mind. It’s not fair to ask you constantly,” She murmured, leaning her head against the chilled glass. A single horse trotted through fresh fields of white in the distance.

  
“Nah, I like spending the time with you,” He spoke softly, lifting his shoulders in a movement that rustled his mane of curly hair.

  
She hummed an acknowledgement. There were kids playing ice hockey on a frozen pond.

  
“You okay?” Usopp whispered, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to cautiously place it on her forearm.

  
“Just a little out of it,” She smiled weakly.

  
He nodded, “I’ve got just the thing to cheer you up.”

  
Pulling off to the side of the road, he changed the song before starting to drive once more.

  
The familiar palm-muted guitar of The Proclaimers _’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)_ filled the vehicle, accompanied by the soft crash of a hi-hat. There was a crunch as the wheels rolled onto the dirt road towards her home.

  
Nami glared at the teen in the driver’s seat. Oh, he wasn’t really going to do this, was he?

  
Keeping his eyes on the road, he grinned goofily as he began to sing along, “ _When I wake up, well, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be who wakes up next to you.”_

  
Groaning, Nami sunk lower in her seat, pouting at her best friend.

  
He poked her in the cheek, “ _When I go out, yeah, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you._ ”

  
“Oh my god, why?!” She whined, covering her hands with her ears, “Why must you torture me like this?!”

  
Usopp was completely unfazed, “ _If I get drunk, well, I know I’m gonna be, I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you. And if I haver_ – What does ‘haver’ mean anyway?”

  
“Not a clue,” She found herself grinning.

  
Damn him.

  
“C’mon Nami! You have to sing along!” He was bouncing up and down in his seat. Eyes fixed on the road, yet somehow all of his attention was radiating towards her. 

  
She threw caution to the wind.

  
“ _BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES! AND I WOULD WALK 500 MORE! JUST TO BE THE MAN WHO WALKED A THOUSAND MILES TO FALL DOWN AT YOUR DOOR!”_ They shouted, banging their heads and laughing through the words.

  
“ _Da-da-da_ – Oh, shit, not yet,” Usopp cackled as the second verse started. 

  
Nami was a giggling mess as the car bounced along the bumpy road, a euphoria brewing inside of her that was brought on by the turbulent drive, as well as the comedic faces Usopp was pulling as he tried to remember all of the words to the song.

  
“You have to admit this song is gold,” He insisted.

  
“Oh, no – ” She paused so they could both shout, “ _WHEN I COME HOME,_ ” along with the backing vocals, “No doubt about it.”

  
“You ready for the next chorus?”

  
She smirked, punching his shoulder playfully, “I was born ready.”

  
“ _BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES! AND I WOULD WALK 500 MORE! JUST TO BE THE MAN WHO WALKED A THOUSAND MILES TO FALL DOWN AT YOUR DOOR!”_

  
_“Da-da-da-da!”_ Usopp cried.

  
Nami echoed, “ _Da-da-da-da_!”

  
Then, their voices melted together as if they belonged that way, snickering while they tried to hold the tune, “ _Ba-da-da-dum-da-da-dum-da-da-dum-da-da-dum-da-da_!”

  
They repeated that part until they were out of breath, wheezing with laughter as Usopp pulled into her driveway. 

  
Nami turned to look at him as she turned the music down, the relative quiet directing all of the attention to her, as if she was a vacuum sucking life out of the car. His hair fell in perfect curls past his shoulders, a handful of strands laying against the front of his jacket, and not pressed between his shoulders and the driver’s seat. His long fingers, so good at all things technical and artsy, gripped the steering wheel, reminding her of how they had fit so snugly in between hers. His expression was relaxed, happy, and yet he stared at her quizzically, dark eyes swimming with unspoken affection that gave her the answer to the question she had yet to ask. 

  
“Usopp, do you like me?” She blurted.

  
He blinked, “Well, duh, you’re my best friend.”

  
She narrowed her eyes. He was such a good liar.

  
“Usopp,” She repeated, “Do you _like_ me?”

  
Frowning this time, a deep blush darkened his prominent nose.

  
Those eyes, that had been so caring before, were suddenly panicked, frantic even. They darted everywhere except her as they sat in front of her house, the engine humming beneath them. He fixed his gaze on the empty smoothie in the cup holder as he stuttered, “Um, w-wha – I mean, n-no!”

  
Nami raised an eyebrow. 

  
He deflated under her scrutinizing gaze, “Yeah, of course I do, Nami.”

  
She watched him carefully, waiting for him to meet her eyes. She waited a while. He seemed so nervous, so scared of what she would say next.

  
So, she didn’t say anything. At least, nothing related.

  
With a simple, “Thanks for the lift, Usopp,” she climbed out of the car.

  
It took all of her control to stop from sprinting into the house and directly to her sister’s room.

  
She hoped he would understand her actions. If anyone would get it, it was him. She had chosen to leave the statement hanging, as she didn’t know the best way to respond.

  
She couldn’t tell him that she liked him, too.

  
Though, she also couldn’t tell him that she didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arrivederci, Fiero for the HIMYM fans out there <3  
> For the record, you can actually retire from your optional year in high school, at least if you have already graduated. I did it myself, and I thought it was the funniest thing. Definitely went around for a week saying I was 'retired'.
> 
> Honestly, the acesan is quickly becoming my favourite ship in this, whoops!  
> And I stand by sassy gossip queen Brook.
> 
> Double update today! <3 :)


	12. Only One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law thinks he's alone in the music room, and Sanji has decided to name the elephant in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Yellowcard in the title for our sweet emo boy.
> 
> Please enjoy! Happy Sunday! <3

Law hated his hands.

  
The tan skin splotched with slightly fairer patches stretched across thin bones, tendons flexing beneath the surface as he fingered the keys of his tenor saxophone. His eyes stared blankly at the sheet music for Disney Pixar’s _Up_ on the stand in front of him, running on autopilot. They had been playing this piece for an entire month, yet the flute section just couldn’t get it together.

  
He was so bored. Tonguing the mouthpiece with practiced skill, breathing along with the rhythm of the composition, he didn’t even have to focus on Mr. Sohl’s conducting to flow seamlessly into the next portion of the piece. He wished that they would start a new project soon, a new challenge to occupy his mind. Instead, it wandered freely.

  
Thus, there he was, pondering his genuine hatred for his hands.

  
Perhaps it was because they were, arguably, his _best_ feature. 

  
They functioned with little thought, a part of his body that was more aware of his needs than his heart. They took care of him, patched up his cuts, nursed his bruises, wiped away the tears he wondered he was still capable of shedding. It had been so long since he had last cried. 

  
They ran shaking fingers through soft white fur, prompting goofy whines of excitement and an eager weight leaping into his bed. They unclipped leashes from collars and sent big paws thumping across frozen leaves. They poured food and water into decorative dishes and popped treats onto a slobbering tongue. 

  
They pressed on vinyl strings in the pale light of dawn, thumb strumming over a hollowed, wooden body. They created melodies that ranged from vulnerable and intimate, to brash and downright angry. They mimicked the fingers he saw in the dim light of the basement, they shook with envy at the skill they had yet to possess. They guided pens over lined paper, crossing out word after word because nothing ever seemed to sound right.

  
They quivered in the winter air, outstretched, offering aid to a laughing idiot before he had been able to even consider his actions. They bloomed beneath the contact of another’s skin, hitting him somewhere deep in his chest, ringing through a cavity previously thought to be empty.

  
His hands were capable of little miracles, that he didn’t believe he deserved.

  
Maybe that was the driving force, deep in his subconscious, to mark them with letters that spelt out what he so desired, to black out the skin of the things that brought him the most comfort, and the most joy. 

  
_It’s just art,_ he had told himself.

  
Though, he knew it was more than that. 

  
He had told them he wanted to be a doctor.

  
Did he want to be a doctor? Sure, he had considered it. But, to state something so confidently in front of so many people? It had caught him off guard. 

  
Weeks ago he hadn’t even seen a future for himself.

  
Now, if he really thought about it, there was this blurry outline, a potential portrait of what he could have. A mess of colours, swirling together like a fresh painting dropped in the rain. 

  
What had changed?

  
“Pssst, Torao,” Luffy whispered behind him, “You’re on the wrong page.”

  
“Huh?” Blinking himself out of his stupor, he was met with approximately twenty sets of eyes boring into him.

  
Mr. Sohl seemed thoroughly amused, rapping his conducting baton against his stand at the front of the classroom, “Welcome back, Mr. Law. We thought we had lost you. If we’re going to lose anyone in this class, it’ll be this ancient artifact over here – Yo ho ho ho!” 

  
The students groaned. 

  
“Now, from the top of the _Married Life_ segment, starting at bar 4. Mr. Law, please flip to the right page,” Mr. Sohl waved his baton.

  
Perhaps he didn’t know the piece well enough to run on autopilot _quite_ yet. 

  
By the time they reached the reprise of Married Life, Law bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a huff as Luffy’s trombone crooned the counter melody. His stomach twisted. 

  
He was so distracting. 

  
The bell rang when they were mere bars away from completing their play through. Although Mr. Sohl urged them to finish while animating his plea with a flourish of his baton, the class was quick to abandon their instruments and let the melody stop abruptly.

Cases were clicked open and shut, shoved into labeled cubbies, and the door was held open as a string of students hurried to the hallway. 

  
Law sighed, slowly moving about the empty music room. Mr. Sohl had retreated to his office that was connected in the back of the class, leaving Law with 10-15 minutes of time in the room to himself before the Pop Choir arrived for their Tuesday rehearsal. 

  
Shoving his saxophone case into the appropriate slot in the sturdy shelf, he moved automatically towards the piano in the corner of the room, where he would stay for the next hour. He stretched his fingers as he sat down on the wobbly bench, positioning his feet by the pedals that hovered above the floor. 

  
He felt numb as he stared at his hands, at the two black circles with four prongs each inked into the tan skin, at the letters that symbolised everyone’s inevitable demise above his knuckles. 

  
The silence was closing in on him, deafening and overwhelming. When had he become so accustomed to noise? He used to love the quiet, as it was the only time he could really think. Though, that was all he did, wasn’t it? All he ever did was think, think, think. He never _did anything_ … Except for that one time. 

  
Except that one time that the stupid idiot with the sunny smile had asked him to play with him, and he had agreed. 

  
Ever since then, since being pulled into whirlwind of music and laughter and noise, he had begun to notice all the little sounds around him at all times. The huff of Bepo’s breathing at the foot of his bed, the growl of his skateboard wheels rolling on pavement, the scratch of a pen on paper. 

  
Absolute silence was strange. He didn’t like it.

  
So, he stared down at the hands that he hated so much, and started to play.

  
Tattooed fingers plunked the keys before him, moving instinctually in a melody he hadn’t played in a while. His heart hurt as he hunched over the keyboard, hammering out the opening of Jack’s Mannequin’s _Dark Blue_ , the pounding toms and catchy guitar hook sounding in his memory.

  
_“I have, I have you breathing down my neck, breathing down my neck. I don’t, don’t know what you could possibly expect under this condition so I’ll wait, I’ll wait for the ambulance to come, ambulance to come pick us up off the floor. What did you possibly expect under this condition…_ ” He murmured the melody softly, under his breath.

  
_“So slow down. This night’s a perfect shade of,”_ Law took a deep breath, closing his eyes as his fingers flew across the keys. The verse was easy. The chorus? The chorus required him to really _sing_. He fought back the fear that was bubbling in his stomach. He could do this. There was not a body in the room to hear.

  
“ _Dark blue, dark blue. Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? When I’m here with you, I said, the world could be burning, burning down,”_ He sang to everyone, and no one. He sang for himself. He sang to ease the pressure that was building in his chest. He sang, “ _Dark blue, dark blue. Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? When I’m here with you, I said, the world could be burning, ‘til there’s nothing but dark blue.”_

  
A rush of endorphins jolted his system, throwing him into the music. All hesitation was gone. The only thing that mattered was keeping the song going, feeling the notes as a whole, and not just as a hammer hitting a string. It was like seeing the big picture, seeing the forest from the trees, seeing Law, alone, and pouring his whole being into the melody his fingers emitted. 

  
His head bobbed, his eyes fluttering open only to ensure he was still floating above the correct keys. His upper body swayed with the words, with the desperation swelling in his heart. He visualized that he was on a large stage, thousands of eyes upon him, listening to him play. There was none of the usual panic, the usual fear. He was simultaneously at ease, and so full of emotion he thought he might burst.

  
_“If you’ve ever been alone… you’ll know…. Dark blue…. If you’ve ever been alone. You’ll know. You’ll know,”_ He crooned, oozing a vulnerability that no one would had ever seen, or would ever see, for that matter. 

  
His fingers stilled over the keys, and he inhaled deeply before dropping them onto the keyboard, letting the last notes ring out. 

  
The silence was back. 

  
For approximately five seconds before a voice piped up behind the piano.

  
“Wow, Torao. That was really pretty.”

  
With a strangled – and very undignified – yelp, Law fell backwards off the bench, his entire body jolting from the sudden noise. His back landed against the carpet of the music room first, his head following with a soft thud! There was a clamoring of random keys as his legs flew up, landing on the keyboard when they reflexively tried to reunite with the floor. 

  
He groaned as he sat himself upright, rubbing the back of his head.

  
Luffy was standing from the seat in front of the piano – the blind spot. There was concern flashing in his eyes as he rushed over to the fallen teen. “Oh! Sorry Torao! My bad!” He chuckled nervously.

  
Law inched away from him, shoes kicking against carpet until he felt himself against the wall. Glaring like a cornered animal, eyes darting to the nearest escape route, he hissed, “How long have you been here?!” 

  
Luffy blinked, jutting his thumb over his shoulder, “I was chatting with Brook in the office, but I came and sat down when I heard you singing.”

  
Heat flooded his cheeks. Had he really been so tuned into the song that he hadn’t even noticed Luffy walk in front of him and take a seat? Even if he had sat in the blind spot, he should have been able to see the yellow graphic tee make his way across the room! His heart pounded against his chest as he exhaled a shuddering breath.

  
“Why are you so embarrassed? I’ve heard you sing loads of times,” Luffy’s brow furrowed in confusion as he stared down at the other teen on the floor.

  
He lowered his flushed face, “This was different.”

  
“It was,” A sunny smile agreed with him instantly, “It was really nice, Torao.”

  
Luffy extended a hand.

  
Law reached out and grabbed it. 

  
He was already standing before both of them realized what had happened. 

  
“AH!” Luffy cried, staring at his hand, flailing it around in a flurry of panic, “You don’t like to be touched! I touched Torao! OH NO!”

  
Law blinked down at his hand, at the spot where Luffy’s palm had pressed against his, where his fingers had curled to caress his knuckles.

  
There had been no thought, like when he had offered the other teen assistance in the parking lot. There had been no feeling of vulnerability, no fear that often accompanied the touch of another human being.

  
No, it had been completely natural.

  
Luffy had offered him his hand, and he had accepted it without hesitation. 

  
“It’s okay,” Law breathed, repeating it to get Luffy’s attention, “Hey, it’s okay.”

  
The whirlwind of limbs calmed at his words, and big brown eyes stared up at him, swimming with guilt, “I won’t do it again.”

  
“Actually,” Law’s words felt foreign on his tongue, and he chewed on them thoughtfully, speaking softly, “It was… nice.”

  
Luffy’s eyes widened.

  
“Different, but nice,” He couldn’t quite bring himself to smile, still shocked from the previous events. Instead he fixed his serious gaze on the bundle of energy in front of him, hoping he would understand what he was trying to say.

  
“Does that mean I can touch Torao now?!” Luffy looked impossibly happy for such a menial – and suggestive, though Law knew Luffy hadn’t considered that in the slightest – development in their friendship.

  
He shuffled his feet awkwardly, “Um, not the way you guys are all constantly touching, no. But, maybe we can work on it? Baby steps?”

  
With a smile that was all teeth, Luffy shoved his hand out in front of him, waiting expectantly as he chimed, “Deal!”

  
Sliding his palm against his, index finger tracing the pulse in his wrist and thumbs interlocking, Law muttered, “Deal.” 

  
They lingered there for a moment, hands wrapped as they shook on the new plan. Luffy’s skin was so soft and warm, and he gripped Law with a strength that was mirrored by the determination in his eyes. 

  
“I like your hands,” Luffy snickered as he finally broke contact, “They’re pretty.”

  
Law felt his jaw drop. H-how? How had he known?

  
It was then that the door to the music room opened, and Sanji and Vivi arrived. They were 5 minutes early, as per usual. Sanji raised a spiral eyebrow at the two standing next to the piano, immediately sensing the strange tension that had filled the air. Vivi smirked, nudging her companion with her hip. 

  
Words were flying through Law’s brain too quickly for him to form a valid sentence. He knew he was blushing. He had to be. This was such a strange moment and he didn’t know what to make of it. What would have happened next had they not been interrupted? He was practically vibrating with nerves. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to control his body for much longer.

  
There was an image in his mind, one that he was desperately trying to push back into the recesses of his brain. 

  
No. It wouldn’t have happened.

  
He wouldn’t have kissed Luffy.

  
…Right?

  
“Luffy,” Sanji broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh, “You can’t try out for Pop Choir. How many times have we been over this?”

  
Vivi nodded, “We love you, but you’ve auditioned every year, and you just _can’t_ sing whatever you want. It doesn’t work that way.”

  
Luffy pouted, “I don’t see why not. It would be a lot more fun if everyone just sang the songs that make them the most happy.”

  
Opening her backpack, Vivi pulled out the sheet music for the new song they were starting today and giggled, “Believe it or not, we have a lot of fun arranging and practicing our songs. It’s just like band practice.”

  
“Nah, band practice is way more fun,” Luffy joked as he ducked out the door of the music room, “See you guys in an hour!”

  
As the other members of Pop Choir began to file into the classroom, Vivi explained that they would be learning a new piece, and gestured for Law to start playing so that she and Sanji could demonstrate the tune in a duet. With a curt nod of his head, he got to work, sight-reading the sheets in front of him as the duo commenced an interesting ABBA medley, starting with the classic _Mama Mia_. 

  
He made quick work of retrieving Bepo after the rehearsal. He had gotten rather fast over the last couple weeks, finding a shortcut to his neighborhood through a previously unknown alleyway. He had managed to complete the trip from the school, to his house, to the jam space in a consistent 20 minutes, which provided a fair amount of exercise for both himself and the samoyed. 

  
Upon arrival at the band practice, he routinely passed off his puppy to Franky, who met him in the garage. It seemed he had a good number of clients today, as almost all of the spots in the lot were full. That was good. It meant that business was booming, and perhaps there were fewer idiots in Sabaody than he had previously thought if they knew to bring their car to the best mechanic around.

  
Okay, maybe he was growing a tad bit fond of the Straw Hats and their group of friends.

  
Slipping into the large room connected to Franky’s workplace, Law waved absently to Nami, Vivi, Usopp, and Chopper, placing his backpack against the wall before making to perch on the arm of the couch to watch the band wrap up their cover of New Found Glory’s _My Friends Over You_. The position put him looming over Chopper, who was reading a large textbook and nestled in the tattered fabric of the furniture. Usopp sat next to him, curls bobbing along with the music as he chewed on the eraser of a pencil, brow furrowed in thought. It looked like he was working on something in a sketchbook. Nami and Vivi were seated at the table, and if what they had discussed in class was true, they were planning out their media project. 

  
They had promised Law that as long as he took on all the editing of the video, they would handle planning and filming. He felt that that was a good deal.

  
Placing his chin in his hands, he hunched over, elbows on boney knees, and turned his gaze to the band taking up the other half of the room. 

  
They were curled in on each other, Luffy’s microphone opposite from its usual position facing the seated area. Instead, he looked to Zoro, and with Robin and Sanji turned in the same direction, they created their own little bubble of sound. They all seemed extremely into the song, not even noticing that Law had arrived. He didn’t take that personally of course, the only one who would have seen him enter was Zoro – who was a little preoccupied thundering on the drums. 

  
Law found himself tapping his foot along with the break in the middle of the song, halting his movement when they reached the last pre-chorus that consisted of just guitar and vocals. Zoro looked up from his snare to grin at him in welcome, and Luffy must have noticed, for he turned around mid-sentence to shout a greeting.

  
“ _Just maybe, you need_ – HEY TORAO! – _I didn’t mean to lead you on_ ,” Luffy cried, his guitar slung lower than ever so that it hung against his hips, requiring him to take an extra wide stance to strum comfortably. His head tilted up into the microphone, the angle exposing the flushed skin of his neck, and the Adam’s apple that bobbed along with every word.

  
Law gulped. 

  
“ _You were everything I wanted, but I just can’t finish what I started. There’s no room left here on my back, it was damaged long ago. Though you swear that you are true, I’d still pick my friends over you!”_ The energetic frontman repeated twice, voice harmonizing nicely with Sanji as they closed out the song. The blond picked the same guitar riff that sounded in the intro of the song.

  
“ _My friends over you!”_ Luffy placed a hand on his yellow baseball cap as he laughed the last line, jumping up and down and completely abandoning the guitar at his hips. It didn’t matter. He was so damn charismatic. Everything he did just screamed showmanship.

  
Law wondered if he could ever be like that one day.

  
Then immediately pushed the thought aside. 

  
He wanted to be a doctor.

  
If he wanted to be _anything_ at all. 

  
“Hey, Torao,” Chopper chirped while the Straw Hats decided what song to practice next, “Nami mentioned that you patched up Zoro and Luffy after the bar fight last week.”

  
Law nodded, “That is correct."

  
“Are you interested in studying medicine? Luffy said you seemed really skilled,” There were stars in the younger teen’s eyes as he stared up at him.

  
Unconsciously, his eyes darted to Luffy as he answered simply, “I don’t know what I want. Medicine is one of the less boring options, I suppose.”

  
Chopper took his answer to be positive, lighting up like a Christmas tree and chiming, “I wanna be a doctor too! Kureha told me that she’s been putting aside tips to help pay for my schooling, but I’ll still need to get a job next year.”

  
It was then that Law noticed that the textbook in the other’s lap was much thicker than any Grade 10 course resource he had ever seen. No, this was an actual book on medicinal science that Chopper had to have purchased. “What are you reading?” He inquired, tilting his head to read the title as the text was held up for him. 

  
“ _First Aid for the Basic Sciences, General Principles_ ,” Chopper pushed his comically large glasses up his nose as they had slid down while he had been reading, “I’ve heard that it’s used as a recommended reading for first years in university, but I’m hoping to do a Co-Op next year at a retirement home, or a clinic of sorts.”

  
Law nodded with interest, finding that his respect for the younger teen was multiplying by the second. He had never bothered participating in the Co-Op program that GLI offered, though he had heard it was a good stepping stone for part time jobs in fields outside of the hospitality industry. “That’s very proactive, Chopper. How can they say no to you if you’re so prepared? Sounds like you’ll make a good apprentice,” He mused.

  
The light in Chopper’s eyes got even brighter as he squirmed in his seat, “Shut up! Just because you’re saying something nice doesn’t mean I like it!” His giggling contrasted his words dramatically.

  
The Straw Hats began playing their next song, which seemed to be _The Middle_ by Jimmy Eat World, and Law found himself once again staring at Luffy, at all the power he possessed in his small frame, at the electricity that flew off of him as he played, at the fire in his eyes and the grin that split his lips.

  
Becoming a doctor was vastly different than becoming a rock star.

  
He didn’t think he was cut out for the latter anyway. Not after… 

  
Chopper was tugging at his sleeve, “Hey, Torao?”

  
Law raised an eyebrow, reluctant to snap at the eager conversationalist, but disappointed that his focused admiration had been interrupted.

  
Chopper certainly didn’t notice the hard edges of Law’s eyes as he babbled, “I was just thinking… If we’re both interested in medicine, maybe we could study this book together sometime? And could I check out your 12th Grade biology textbook?”

  
Law’s gaze softened. Luffy’s friends were really making an effort to get along with him, and he was being as prickly and frigid as ever – to everyone except the smiling idiot who had someone managed to worm his way into Law’s cold, dead heart. And even then, he wasn’t that _nice_ to Luffy either.

  
What was he _doing_? 

  
“Sure Chopper. That would be nice,” He responded levelly, careful not to give away the slightest hint that he really did mean it. He slid off the arm of the couch and retrieved his biology textbook, passing it to the kind teen with the big eyes and mousey brown hair. “I don’t need this until Thursday. We’re doing a lab tomorrow. Take your time with it.” He stated.

  
He didn’t hate the wide smile that Chopper flashed as he gazed enthusiastically at the worn cover of the book. 

  
The band’s song came to an end with a clash of the cymbals, Zoro drawing out the ringing chime and making Robin giggle. Luffy stretched his arms over his head, and Sanji cracked his knuckles after checking the tuning of his guitar. 

  
“Good job, guys!” Vivi called, looking up from the paper on which she was scrawling. 

  
Usopp let out a rather unenthusiastic, “Wooo,” his brow furrowed as he sketched away on the pad of paper on his lap. Chopper looked up from his book to clap briefly, before returning his attention to a page on stitching technique.

  
Nami shrugged, “Solo was a little sloppy.”

  
Sanji yelped, adoration in his eyes as he fretted, “I’m so sorry, my dear sweet Nami! I’ll play it perfect for you next time!”

  
“A solo doesn’t need to be perfect as long as it’s played with heart,” Robin mused, shooting Sanji a reassuring smile. She adjusted her strap, better distributing the weight of her bass on her shoulders, “Just like lyrics, right Torao?”

  
Law flinched. 

  
“Oh hey, why don’t we work on Torao’s song?” Luffy grinned, turning his excited grin onto him. Zoro nodded in agreement, drumstick still in mouth, resembling a Rottweiler with a particularly tasty bone. 

  
“Any luck with the vocals, Torao?” Sanji asked, the slightest undertone of contempt to his words.

  
“Well,” Law muttered, “No. Not really.”

  
He stared at his stupid hands. Hands that seemed to be incapable of coming up with any decent lyrics ever since he met the metaphorical ray of sunshine that was Monkey D. Luffy. He couldn’t bear to face the disappointment in the latter’s eyes.

  
“That’s okay,” Luffy chirped after a brief moment, “You’ll get to it. We have plenty of time.”

  
“No, it’s not okay.” Sanji snipped.

  
Nami and Vivi’s heads snapped up from where they had been huddled over the table, and audible gasp escaping the blue haired girl’s lips. Usopp craned his neck over the back of the couch to see the band behind him, alarm flaring in his eyes. Chopper closed his book, sliding it into his bag as if he knew exactly where this was going, and that it would end along with the practice.

  
The tension in the room was thick, nearly tangible. Law almost lifted a hand to see if he would be met with something akin to water resistance. Almost.

  
Robin’s blue eyes were patient as she watched Sanji chew on the words he had spat, and Luffy blink in surprise. Zoro removed the drumstick from his mouth, rubbing his palms against the denim on his thighs – a telltale sign that he was uncomfortable. 

  
“Sanji?” Luffy cocked his head to the side.

  
The guitarist took a deep breath in, choosing not to turn back, to follow through with his train of thoughts. “It’s not okay,” He repeated, “The deadline is in a month and a half, and we should already have a song by now.”

  
Law frowned. Sanji was right. He wouldn’t have agreed to help them write a song if he hadn’t considered it possible. He had written so many little melodies on his acoustic, alone in his room. He thought it would be easy. Why was he cracking under the pressure? He didn’t look great in this light.

  
“That’s loads of time. Torao’s got this,” Luffy insisted, shooting a glance at Law, seeking reassurance.

  
Law opened his mouth, but no words came out.

  
“Does he though? Sure, the instrumentals are great, but we need vocals, we need words, we need harmonies,” Sanji argued, brow furrowed as he drummed his fingers against the body of his guitar, “We can’t afford to wait another month for him to come up with something.”

  
“Do you have any ideas, Curly brow?” Zoro growled, standing menacingly from his spot behind the drum kit, “If the Captain says it’s fine, then it’s fine. We shouldn’t worry.”

  
The guitarist rolled his eyes, “Oh, cut it with the Captain crap, _first mate_. Luffy’s only human. He can make mistakes.”

  
“Torao isn’t a mistake!” Luffy’s voice rose, shaking with an air of authority. His hands curled into fists. 

  
Law could think of only a handful of times he had ever felt so awful. The guilt and humiliation mixed into a cocktail of arsenic and gasoline, twisting his stomach into notes and overwhelming him with a wave of nausea. He was a mistake. Luffy was wrong. Law should have never agreed to this. Nothing he enjoyed ever worked out, he knew that by now. 

  
“I’m just saying that we need to be taking this more seriously!” Sanji was speaking louder, an angry vein pulsing in his slender neck, “We just got _banned_ from _Shakky’s_ , Luffy! We’re blacklisted! We need to _win_ this Battle of the Bands if we ever want to play another show in Sabaody!”

  
“Sanji’s not wrong,” Nami nervously piped up, sympathy in her big brown eyes, “I’ve reached out to so many venues, but word about your reckless behaviour has gotten out. Plus, you _know_ how difficult it is to book shows too far outside the region. If you can’t guarantee ticket sales in a place you’re not very known, why would a showrunner put you on a bill?”

  
Sanji crossed his arms across his chest, nodding in agreement, “You’re the leader, the _Captain_. If you don’t start trying, then we’ll miss this chance and, well, what happens then?”

  
Zoro glared at the guitarist, “Don’t you dare, shitty cook!”

  
“I agree with Sanji,” Robin spoke slowly, startling everyone with her even, diplomatic tone.

  
Eyebrows darting up in surprise, Zoro head whipped around to fix his steely gaze on the eldest of the group, “What?!”

  
Robin exhaled slowly, her eyes conflicted as she thought through her words, “This isn’t all fun and games. I don’t know about you three, but I personally prefer a future where we could make something out of this band. We all put a lot of time and effort into it, Nami and Usopp included, and to blow off a large opportunity like this is, to put it bluntly, a bit of a slap in the face.”

  
There were murmurs of agreement from the manager and sound technician. 

  
The drummer stared at the bassist in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing awkwardly as he tried to come up with something else to say. 

  
Luffy was stunned. He glanced at everybody in the room once over, and then twice, before muttering, “But I _am_ taking it seriously. Of course I want to make it with you guys. I’m gonna be a rockstar. We’re all gonna be rockstars.”

  
Sanji frowned, “Then maybe you should start acting like this band actually matters to you. Treat it like a _job_ , Luffy. Not just your super-happy-fun-jam-time.”

  
“It’s not our fault that Torao’s slow at writing,” Zoro grumbled, barely audible from his spot in the corner.

  
Though, it was audible, and the chill that surged through Law’s veins only convinced him further that he was about to vomit profusely. He was ruining everything. It was all his fault. 

  
He tried desperately to grasp at some sort of explanation, at some sort of excuse, but no sentences formed in his head.

  
He was useless. He was a waste of space. He would be better off not existing.

  
“I don’t think it’s fair to place the blame on Torao,” Robin frowned at the green haired teen, “We’re all in this together, aren’t we? We all could be trying to write lyrics, instead of putting so much pressure on an outsider.”

  
“No,” Luffy shook his head stubbornly, “I want Torao to do it. He’ll do it. Right, Torao?”

  
Those big, dark eyes turned to meet Law’s yellow irises, pulsing with panic. He was sure he was paler than ever, if the cold sweat that was dotting his temples was any indication. Why did this stupid ray of sunshine believe in him? Why? Why couldn’t he just cut him loose and let him go?

  
Luffy didn’t wait for an answer, taking Law’s silence to mean that yes, he was going to write the song. 

  
Sanji fixed the frontman with a hard stare, muttering a brief, “Okay. Whatever, _Captain_.” He removed his guitar from his torso, placing it on the nearby stand and flicking off his microphone and amplifier. Shrugging on his denim jacket, he threw his backpack over his shoulder and looked to the couch.

  
“Oi, Usopp, I’ll take that ride home that you offered earlier,” He spoke brusquely, the anger boiling beneath every word barely contained.  
Usopp nodded, clearly happy to get out of the tense environment. In a flurry of movement and hushed goodbyes, the four spectators, plus the guitarist had left the jam space, the cold winter wind slamming the door shut behind them.

  
“So, should we practice Torao’s song?” Luffy asked, a shaky smile flitting across his face. It was clear that he was trying so hard to appear unfazed, that he didn’t mind his leadership being questioned. Only a robot wouldn’t be affected by the words that had been exchanged.

  
It was unbelievably awkward.

  
“Nah, Luf,” Zoro sighed, “I’ve got a bus to catch.”

  
Robin nodded curtly, “I should work on my paper on Ancient Middle Eastern temples.”

  
Luffy deflated, turning his gaze on Law, “You wanna skate home together?”

  
Law nodded, “I’ll go get Bepo.”

  
By the time he had retrieved the dog from Franky’s house, Robin and Zoro had already disappeared, leaving Luffy by his lonesome just outside the door to the jam space. The teen lit up the moment he saw the fluffy Samoyed, and Bepo mirrored his reaction, rearing up to place his big paws on Luffy’s chest. 

  
There were snickers of delight and whines of happiness as the big white dog covered the Straw Hats frontman in kisses, tongue lapping eagerly at his face, tail wagging so hard that Law could hear the _whoosh_! of the surrounding air getting displaced. Luffy beamed and crouched down, throwing his sweater clad arms around Bepo’s neck, nuzzling his nose into the silky hairs. Law could see the dog’s special healing powers at work.

  
Sure enough, when Luffy straightened up, any previous disappointment had vanished, replaced with his usual cheery disposition.   
They began to make their way home, Bepo trotting alongside the pair as they rode their skateboards side by side on the road, once they had made it to the quieter area of the neighbourhood. It hadn’t snowed much in the past two weeks, though remnants of the white powder had transformed into icy slush on the sides of the street. The wheels of their boards rolled over pebbles of de-icing salt, making it a far bumpier trip than usual. 

  
“Looks like we’ll have to start walking soon,” Law grumbled, his voice wavering as his board rattled over the salty terrain. 

  
“Maybe I can get Ace to pick us up,” Luffy offered, “I’m sure he’d love to meet Bepo.”

  
“Only if it’s not too much of a pain for him,” He muttered, not willing to admit that he would miss his one-on-one time with the energetic teen.

  
“You know what you sound like right now?” Luffy snickered, the sound altered from the bumpy road, “When you talk into one of those osling fans, or whatever, and you sound like a robot.”

  
“Oscillating?” 

  
“Exactly.”

  
Law didn’t hold back the chuckle that bubbled to his lips. Luffy wasn’t wrong. They sounded as if a hand was clapping swiftly against their chests, making their voices warbly and clipped. 

  
“I like when you laugh, Torao,” Luffy beamed, “It makes me feel funny inside.”

  
Law hit a particularly large rock of salt, making his insides flip flop. The feeling was reminded him of being tickled, he began to laugh even harder. He didn’t even recognize the sound coming from his lips – partially due to the aforementioned distortion, and yet, also because he couldn’t remember the last time he had really laughed. The vibrato of his voice echoed around the quiet neighborhood, and when it faded away to the rolling hum of the skateboard wheels, and Bepo’s panting, he found Luffy watching him. He wore a fond look on his face.

  
“Funny, how?” Law asked, turning his gaze back to the road, fighting the blush that threatened to dust his cheeks. That look had been so… invasive, in the most welcome way.

  
Luffy shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s not a bad feeling.”

  
“Good,” He smiled softly, eyes fixed ahead.

  
“Did you write the song you were playing on the piano?”

  
“Nah, that’s Dark Blue by Jack’s Mannequin.”

  
“Torao!” Luffy whined, “I told you to tell me about bands you liked!”

  
“Well, I am now, am I not?” Law snipped snarkily, “Check out their album _Everything In Transit_.”

  
Luffy nodded, humming a noise that was synonymous with a promise. Bepo began to pick up speed as they turned onto his street.

Dinner time was in front of him, and the fluffy dog knew it. 

  
They skidded to a stop in front of Law’s house, and he was extremely grateful to see that all of the lights were off. His uncle had already left for the night. Tucking his board under his arm, Law led Bepo up the steps to the front door. He was just about to say goodbye to Luffy when instead he spoke words that he hadn’t intended to say.

  
“I’ve got the verses done,” He spewed as he turned to face the other teen.

  
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Luffy asked, large eyes blinking up at him in surprise.

  
He shrugged, “I… I don’t know. It’s not done yet. I can’t seem to get the chorus the way I want it.”

  
Bepo was whimpering at the door, thick tail thudding against the front step. 

  
“Can I hear?” The smaller teen pushed.

  
Law shook his head, shuffling his boots against the ground, “Maybe some other time.”

  
“Why don’t you come over on a weekend or something, and we can work on it together?” Luffy offered, a bright smile spreading across his face, “You can show me and I can show the group, if that works better for you.”

  
His heart pounded against his ribs. Did Luffy really just invite him over? On a weekend? Like a… date? 

  
No, it wasn’t a date. This was _Luffy._ He was simply trying to make sure his friend was the most comfortable in his quest to write for them. 

  
Regardless, the offer made him unrealistically happy, a surge of warmth flowing through him that dwarfed the intensity of the previous nausea. 

  
But what was he supposed to do with that happiness? How did he know it was real? Or maybe his body was just giving into simple physical desire and it was manifesting in a type of faux joy? How could he trust such a foreign feeling? How was he supposed to react? 

  
He must have been taking an awful long time to respond, since Luffy tilted his head to the side, an amused glint in his eyes, “You think too much, Torao.”

  
Law frowned, “I’m just thorough with my thoughts.”

  
The other teen shook his head, “Just do what you want to do.”

  
He found himself oddly confused by the statement. What did he mean? To just jump into a chain of events like a reckless idiot? To just follow his gut?

  
What did Luffy want him to want to do?

  
His brain was starting to hurt. 

  
“Yeah, okay, Mr. Straw Hat,” He sighed, trying to appear as though the words hadn’t affected him as much as they had. 

  
Luffy snorted, giggling in an exasperated fashion, like he knew Law hadn’t understood him. He waved lazily and called out a farewell before skating off into the distance. 

  
Unlocking the door, Law followed Bepo as he zoomed inside, rocketing to the kitchen the moment the leash was removed from his collar. Pouring kibble into his stainless steal bowl with the doodles of colourful fish printed on it, Law ensured that he had plenty of fresh water before making his way up to his bedroom. He left the door open – something he only did when Doflamingo was not home and he had the house to himself. Bepo wouldn’t stand for it if he locked him out, after all. 

  
Slumping into his desk chair, he turned to the last available page of his battered up notebook. He couldn’t believe he had filled it with so many words, more than half of them unused, empty and missing _something_. He ran his fingers over the same page he had revisited so many times in the last weeks, tracing each and every letter with his fingertips. 

  
With a heavy sigh, he cracked his neck and straightened his spine. He grabbed a pen and placed the ballpoint directly on the paper, in the blank space between the verses he had written. 

  
He hesitated. 

  
Bepo padded into the room, waltzing right over to him and resting his muzzle on Law’s thigh. He peered up at him with encouraging eyes. 

  
_Stop thinking. Just do it._

  
Nodding in determination, Law began to write. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tensions be rising!  
> But don't worry the next few chapters are super fluffy before things get more rough.  
> In fact, the next update will be a dump of 3 chapters since they all take place over Christmas and I'd rather not spend three weeks on Christmas... Plus I'm pretty ahead right now, so why not? :)
> 
> As always, huge shout out to my girl [hiraeth_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan) <3
> 
> Next week: 3 chapters of seasonal festivities! Also first bit of (tame) smut! Wooo!  
> See you next Sunday :)


	13. Change Your Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Christmas Eve party to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday! Hope you're ready for 3 chapters of holiday fluff!  
> Hope you enjoy <3
> 
> IF YOU ARE BINGING THIS LATE AT NIGHT (we all do it):  
> This chapter is pure fluff. Get some sleep. Drink some water. This is a good time to take a break, I promise :)

_“The snow’s coming down, I’m watching it fall, watching the people around. Baby, please come home.”_

  
A soft yellow light, flickering with hints of orange, illuminated the jam space through the grainy television screen. How Robin had found a VHS of a fireplace, similar to the fireplace channel one could find around the holidays, Zoro wasn’t sure. He was somewhat positive that it was a home video that someone had sold at a yard sale, partially due to the photos of an unfamiliar family that sat upon the recorded hearth, and partially due to the chatter you could hear off camera if you listened carefully.

  
Regardless, the fake firelight added a nice ambiance to everyone’s second home as the group of friends moseyed about, decorating the plain walls with festive décor.

  
“ _The church bells in town, they’re ringing a song. What a happy sound. Baby, please come home.”_

  
Nami hissed as she stubbed her toe against one of the legs of the coffee table, swaying on the spot when her foot reflexively lifted from the ground. Thankfully, Vivi was right behind her setting the high top table with patterned paper plates, napkins, and utensils, and was able to reach out a hand to steady the red-head carrying two large platters of food in her hands. No harm was done to the various desserts and sandwiches as they were gently placed on the carved and chipped surface, effectively covering the entire wooden table with snacks.

  
Zoro chuckled from his spot stringing lights around a large pine tree. Luffy would have been _pissed_ had the trays fallen to the ground.

  
As a hand rocketed around from the other side of the wide mess of needles and branches to grab the row of lights Zoro held outstretched, with a terrifying ferocity that reminded him of a wild animal being offered something to eat, he shook his head. What was he thinking? Had the food fallen, Luffy would have eaten it directly off the floor with no shame whatsoever.

  
Hell, Zoro probably would have joined him as long as he could wash down the carpet cookies with some alcohol.

  
“ _They’re singing deck the halls, but it’s not like Christmas at all. I remember when you were here, and all the fun we had last year.”_

  
Usopp sighed in satisfaction as he pushed the last of the band equipment into a tight corner, enabling Zoro and Luffy to waddle their tree into the space where Zoro’s drums usually sat. A trail of pine needles dotted the carpet all the way from the door to the tree. They would have to sweep those up before they started partying.

  
Chopper had Franky’s stepladder out, taping sparkling gold and silver snowflakes to the walls from floor to ceiling. The glitter on the decorations reflected the flickering fireplace on the television.

  
Robin had managed to climb the corner of music equipment to perch herself on top of her tall bass amp. She fixed the first row of a series of white string lights to the top of the wall, slowly taping the glowing bulbs along the perimeter of the room. She would have to wait for Chopper to finish with the ladder to complete her task. Zoro considered asking her for help on the tree in the meantime.

  
Why not, right?

  
As if she read his mind, she turned to look over her shoulder, their eyes meeting across the room. She smiled and leapt down from the mountain of equipment to begin decorating the tree with bulbs as Luffy and Zoro finished putting the lights on it.

  
“ _Pretty lights on the tree, I’m watching them shine. You should be here with me. Baby, please come home.”_

  
“Sanji, we are here with you, stop being so dramatic,” Luffy whined, poking his head around the massive tree to shoot the blond seated on the back of the couch a hard stare.

  
The stupid cook simply rolled his eyes, continuing the strumming of his acoustic guitar. His feet, clad in festive red and white striped socks, tapped along to his inner metronome. His golden hair hung over his eyes as he hunched over the wooden frame of the instrument in his lap. A cigarette was poised behind his ear.

  
How had the asshole gotten away with not helping?!

  
“ _Oh whoa oh, whoa. Baby, please come home! Baby please come home!”_ Curly Brow wailed, putting real emotion into his voice as he crooned the lyrics to his favourite Christmas song. As much as Zoro hated to admit it, he was really shining in his casual, impromptu performance, prompting everyone to pause what they were doing to turn their attention to the guitarist.

  
“ _Baby, please come home! Whoa-oh-oh!”_ Vivi joined in, folding herself onto the back of the couch next to the idiot cook. She rested an arm on his shoulders as he peered through his bangs at her, grinning.

  
“ _Baby, please come home! Baby, please come home!”_ They finished the song, harmonizing perfectly and showcasing exactly why the two of them made such a great team as the leaders of the Pop Choir. Vivi’s quirky soprano meshed nicely with Sanji’s forlorn tenor and Zoro could have sworn he was listening to some folk pop duo’s professional cover.

  
“WE’RE HOME!” Franky cried as he burst through the door with arms full of multiple brown paper bags, the tops of bottles popping out from over the edges.

  
“No need to shed any tears, my dears, for the old geezers are here with Christmas _SPIRITS_! Yo ho ho!” Brook cackled, afro bobbing into view just behind the mechanic’s shoulder.

  
Shrugging off their jackets, Franky – dressed in an actual Santa Claus outfit minus the beard (which he said he would don for the gift exchange) – placed the bags on the extra, folding plastic table that he had dragged into the room for their party, pulling out bottle after bottle of every liquor imaginable and lining them up on the red tablecloth. Brook – wearing a sweater with battery powered bulbs that flashed in red and green – was right behind the mechanic, arranging plastic cups and shot glasses on the table next to the alcohol.

  
Zoro grinned as he stepped away from the decorated tree, surveying their jam space and admiring the work they had put into it.

  
It looked damn cozy, somewhere in between your grandmother’s cottage and a classy holiday party. Lights twinkled all around the room, bouncing off the glittering snowflakes that adorned the walls. Red table cloths were spread over the tables, which were covered with either booze or the various treats the idiot love cook had crafted. The tattered old couch had two festive throw pillows on either end, and a crocheted red and green quilt hung off the back. Presents sat beneath the sparkling tree, covered in tinsel, lights, and bulbs, which sat in between the PA system, hooked up to Brook’s laptop and ready to blare the playlist curated by the teacher and Robin. To top it all off, every single person present had put some sort of seasonal flare to their usual attire.

  
Nami, in funky high-waisted green corduroy pants and a white cropped sweater, was the first to place her Secret Santa present beneath the decked out tree. Vivi, in a red dress with white polka-dotted nylons and green bell earrings, and Robin, in a woolly green sweater with a knit cat wearing a Santa hat on the front below a large “MEOWy CATmas”, were quick to follow. Luffy, his usual baseball cap replaced with a Christmas Elf’s hat and jingle bells on his wrists, made for the warm appetizers that Dartboard Brow, clad in a boring green button up and jeans, had just brought over from the oven in Franky’s kitchen next door. Usopp, who had somehow found the most ridiculous pair of red and green plaid overalls and had twined literal lights into his large mass of curly hair, wandered over to Brook and began to mix himself a beverage, while Chopper, dressed in a reindeer onesie, was seated in the middle of the floor, cooing to Sunny the cat.

  
And there was Zoro – in his plain white shirt and jeans – looking like the least festive person around. He really was the grinch of the friend group it seemed. Especially if his hair had any say in the matter.

  
Actually, he was going to use that if anyone called him out on his lack of holiday flare.

  
He immediately made for the mass of alcohol and mixes on the table (and there was even more in the mini fridge!), plunking an ice cube from the nearby bucket into a red plastic cup and filling it with straight whiskey. He didn’t need any sugary soda to mask the taste that he had grown to like so much. Besides, it took a lot of booze to get him buzzed, and if tonight was going to be as monumental as they had all been blabbering on about, then he was going to have to drink up.

  
It _definitely_ had nothing to do with nerves. No, not at all. His plan to ask Robin to be his girlfriend was, at least in his opinion, clever and charming, and he was feeling rather confident that she would respond positively, especially after the success of their first date last week.

  
It had been rather tough finding a time that worked for both of them, with Zoro’s exams and summative projects, and work at the dojo on the weekends, while Robin was often busy with her university class schedule and her own exams, as well as three nights a week at _Lily Carnation_. Add in band practice on top of all that, and it was no surprise that their relationship had relied mostly on shared smiles and hidden glances, or late night texts, for two weeks before they could actually arrange a date.

  
It had been worth the wait, though. Zoro had enlisted Brook’s help, though the latter was reluctant to simple tell him what to do, opting instead to brainstorm things that Robin liked in hopes Zoro would find inspiration. Brook’s exercise had worked wonders, and Zoro had blown the bassist away on a trip to the local interactive museum. How perfect was that?! He had to give himself kudos, for he truly could not think of a better first date destination for the aspiring archaeologist.

  
Robin had been thrilled. Although most of the other guests had been families with young children, they had not let that dampen their experience. They had tapped into their childish side, and decided to just go along with it. They had goofed off by placing their hands on the glass ball of static electricity that made your hair float up, shooting each other the ugliest faces they could think of, they had danced upon the floor piano in an attempt to play _Heart and Soul_ , they had dug in the sand pit to find fake dinosaur bones, and they had even got a chance to pet a horseshoe crab (which was just as exciting as one would think – it was hard and slimy).

  
Perhaps they had even made out in the dimly lit planetarium wing, but Zoro was never one to kiss and tell.

  
Reluctant to let such a wonderful date end so soon, they had wandered hand and hand down the street, stopping at a cute café called the _Silver Fox._ They had snagged a little two person booth made up of reused church pews, and a tired looking barista with a toque adorned with a pom-pom larger than her face had brought them two lattes.

  
Staring into her deep blue eyes, the light snow falling against the window in their peripheral vision and a candle flickering between them for added ambience, Zoro had brushed his thumb against her knuckles. They were cracked and dry from the cold weather, yet they were perfect all the same, because they were Robin.

  
“Looks like they’re hosting a Death Café here next weekend,” Robin had mused, her gaze flicking to a poster above Zoro’s head.

  
“A what now?”

  
“A Death Café. It’s a concept originated in Switzerland in 2004 by sociologist Bernard Crettaz that explores a gathering of people for the purpose of discussing death and becoming more comfortable with the concept of the afterlife,” She shot him a cheery smile, “Oh, they’re serving cookies too. Lovely.”

  
He hadn’t been able to stop himself from leaning across the miniature table between them to scoop up her lips with his.

  
How had he gotten so lucky?

  
When he had pulled away, she had cocked an eyebrow and giggled, “Am I to assume you would like to do this again sometime, too?”

  
Then had come the week of actual exams and frantic last minute holiday shopping, and now here they were. Together during the romance of the holidays, at a party that consisted of only their best friends. There were no other obligations for this get together other than the order to have a good time, and Zoro felt that this would be the perfect time to ask her if she would like to be exclusive.

  
He didn’t care if they only had the time to go on the occasional date. He would be happy to take advantage of any minute of time spent together, and hoped that she felt the same way. Alas, all he could do was ask.

  
A nagging voice at the back of his head reminded him of Brook’s words, that dating a band member wasn’t the easiest relationship dynamic. He thought of the argument that they had all had prior to their date, where Robin had sided with Curly Brow, and Zoro with Luffy. That hadn’t been that bad. They had shrugged it off afterwards, and even the ero-cook seemed perfectly normal the next day. Zoro was unsure if the air had really been cleared, or if everyone was simply reluctant to fight around a time that they had been looking forward to.

  
Regardless, everything seemed fine now, and worst case scenario? Well, Zoro liked a challenge. They would figure it out. They would make it work. They were both determined people who knew how to manage their time and their priorities. If anyone could do it, they could.

  
He went to take a swig of his whiskey, and found nothing but the ice cube clinking against his teeth. He blinked at the bottom of the plastic cup. Had he really finished his drink already? How long had he been lost in thought?

  
Judging by the amount of food that Luffy had yet to devour on the other tables, he hadn’t been zoned out for very long.

  
It was then that the door opened and a white blur stormed into the warmly lit party room. For a moment, Zoro thought that a blizzard was raging outside, and that somehow it had managed to blow its way inside, but no. If it _was_ a blizzard, then its name was Bepo.

  
Christmas collar covered in jingle bells, the fluffy dog jangled his way to every person in the jam space, showering them with affection and kisses that smelt of stale kibble, before rolling onto his side next to his new favourite buddy – Sunny. The two of them looked awfully cute together, laying back to back, orange against white, on the floor in front of the TV that was still playing the recording of the fireplace.

  
And who was to accompany the snow white Christmas angel of a Samoyed, but Trafalgar Law. The lanky teen stood awkwardly by the door, slowly toeing off his snow covered boots and waving a brief greeting. His face said that he wasn’t quite sold on participating in their party quite yet, but the fact that he had arrived, with a Secret Santa present, and a camera around his neck as Nami had requested, showed that he was at least _trying_.

  
He then disposed of his black parka, to reveal a simple red crewneck sweater, and Zoro groaned. Now, Law was apparently trying harder than Zoro. Why had no one given him the dress code memo?!

  
“TORAO!” Luffy cried in pure joy, echoing the greetings of the rest of the group. He bounded up from his spot next to the puff pastry sausage rolls to rush towards the taller teen at the door. Stopping when he was toe to toe with Law, he tilted his head, peering up at the other man’s guarded expression.

  
Was Luffy _blushing_?!

  
“Can I hug you?” Luffy asked.

  
Law hesitated, but something in his expression softened as he looked down at the excited ball of energy in front of him. He nodded, and was immediately engulfed by wiry arms, Luffy shoving his body against his.

  
Zoro watched in awe and perhaps a bit of protective concern as Law slowly lifted his arms to wrap them around Luffy’s shoulders.  
He glanced at Robin, to see that she, along with everybody else in the room, was just as surprised. She caught him watching her and swiftly closed her agape jaw to smile, cocking her eyebrow. Zoro shook his head with widened eyes, answering her unspoken question that, he too, had no idea what was going on.

  
In a flurry of movement, Brook distributed a round of shots while Franky hollered from beside the Christmas tree, straddling a chair that he must have brought from his house. He was fully decked out in Santa gear now, beard and all, and was patting the pillow that hid beneath his coat in an animated, hearty chuckle.

  
“Ho ho ho! Gather ‘round, kiddos! It’s time for presents!” He chortled, lifting his shot glass above his head.

  
Everyone made quick work of sitting in a circle by the tree, laughing and chatting amongst themselves as they settled onto the carpet. Brook leaned against the back of the couch, claiming that his old bones wouldn’t be able to get him back on his feet if he sat on the ground. They followed Franky’s lead, toasting their golden shots of brandy, white crème de cacao, and peppermint schnapps (As Brook called it, a _snowshoe_ ).

  
“Merry Christmas Eve! I love you idiots,” Luffy exclaimed, eyes glimmering with happiness as he glanced around the group.

  
Zoro threw the alcohol down his throat, simultaneously pleased with the burn of the brandy, and disappointed by the overall sweetness of the liqueurs. Oh well, a shot was a shot, right?

  
Franky grabbed the present from under the tree that was closest to him, reading, “Alright, let’s do this thing! This one is for Nami, from Chopper!”

  
The red head rocked forward, reaching out and grabbing the small rectangular present wrapped neatly in golden paper. She grinned at the luxurious wrapping job, “Chopper, you know me so well.”

  
The younger teen laughed, “Just open the present!”

  
Tearing open the paper, she lifted the lid of the box to reveal a vibrant teal wallet, patterned with orange tangerines. Nami laughed loudly, her eyes squinting as she beamed at Chopper, “Okay, you _really_ do know me so well! I’m knocking $50 off your debt to me for this one.”

  
Chopper giggled, “Money may not grow on trees, but tangerines do! I’m glad you like it!”

  
Franky passed an oddly shaped box that was covered in comic strips from last weekend’s newspaper to Brook, “This is from Usopp, bro.”

  
Brook chuckled at the wrapping job, and Usopp puffed out his chest with pride. Ever the creative, he always found a way to make anything uniquely his own, and Brook’s present was no exception. As the music teacher unwrapped a little ukulele, everyone gasped. Usopp had hand painted the wood in a haze of psychedelic colours, flowing together and blending in mesmerizing spirals. Little white daisies dotted the trippy background, and the headstock was decorated with a stylized ‘Brook’.

  
“Yo ho ho ho! This is magnificent, Mr. Usopp!” Brook grinned as he strummed his new instrument, “Truly a work of the soul!”

  
Nami nudged a blushing Usopp with her shoulder, murmuring, “That’s really impressive.”

  
He shrugged, “It’s nothing, really.”

  
“Next up! To Zoro from Sanji!” Franky was holding a cylindrical package that was clearly wrapped in the paper the shop had provided. No extra effort had been put into this gift. Zoro noticed Nami and Brook exchange a confused glance. It was probably about the wrapping job.

  
Zoro glowered at the stupid cook. Really?! _REALLY_!? What did the idiot get him? A pile of coal? A jar of his least favourite candy? It wouldn’t be that hard to believe.

  
Curly Brow simply glared in return.

  
Dreading what was beneath the parchment, Zoro slowly peeled back the wrapping from the surprisingly heavy object.

  
“Oh fuck off, asshole,” He grumbled, rolling his eyes all the way to the stratosphere.

  
Blondie chuckled, looking awfully smug.

  
“Hold it up, Zoro! We wanna see!” Luffy cried, bouncing up and down on his bottom.

  
With a heavy sigh, Zoro held up the glass jar, filled with water. The liquid was slightly hazy, housing millions of little particles that were, without a doubt, feeding the literal ball of moss that bobbed along the pile of pebbles lining the container.

  
“Aw! A marimo!” Vivi giggled, clutching her hands to her heart, “How sweet, Sanji!”

  
The cook’s brow furrowed, “Sweet?”

  
Amused, Robin nodded, “Marimo moss are considered a good luck charm, and a symbol of everlasting love in Japan.”

  
The colour drained from Curly Brow’s face. Zoro nearly chucked the damn moss ball across the room.

  
As if she sensed his intentions, Robin gently placed her hand on his forearm, musing, “If you’d like, I can show you how to take care of it later.”

  
Well, at least the stupid cook’s gift was a conversation starter. Placing the jar next to him, Zoro shot one more disgruntled scowl at his nemesis before turning his attention back to the gift exchange. In his distraction, Vivi had opened two packs of decorative Polaroid film from Nami, and was already loading the first roll of film into her camera.

  
Franky dished out two identical gifts next, claiming, “Alright, this one is to Luffy from Brook, and this one to Usopp from me. They go together, so you might as well open them at the same time, little dudes.”

  
Festive paper was ripped in an instant, revealing twin Nerf guns in bright orange and blue hues.

  
“YOOOOO!” Usopp cried, “I HAVEN’T SEEN A NERF GUN IN SO LONG!”

  
“DUDE! Is this the Nerf Infinus with speed-load technology?!” Luffy leapt to his feet, holding the toy above his head.

  
“IT SURE IS!” Usopp hollered, shoving the Styrofoam projectiles into the loading slot.

  
“How do you guys know so much about children’s toys?” The cook drawled.

  
Franky shook his head, “Easy there, Sanji bro, you’re never too old to chase each other around with a plastic weapon.”

  
“HASHTAG NERF NATION!” Luffy was about to hurdle the couch to begin aiming at Usopp from across the room, when Brook snagged him by the jingling bracelet on his wrist.

  
“Manners, Luffy. You can play afterwards,” Brook scolded with a lighthearted chuckle.

  
Zoro grinned, nodding knowingly at Franky as their Santa opened up his gift from the drummer. He had gotten him two personalized glass bottles of Coca-Cola, knowing that it was the mechanics soda of choice, and that he particularly liked it mixed with spiced rum. The labels read “Share a Coke with Franky”, and Zoro was certain that the older man would keep them as décor in his shop after the beverage had been consumed.

  
Vivi had gifted Curly Brow a framed photo of the group that Chopper had asked a stranger to snap back in September at a show. It was a rather nice picture of the band behind the merch table, arm in arm and glistening with post-set sweat. The four of them had a glow about them as they beamed at the camera, and not to offend Nami, Usopp, Vivi, Chopper, Brook and Franky, but they certainly outshone the other smiles in the photo. Zoro couldn’t help but notice the wistful, almost solemn expression on the cook’s face as he stared down at the frame in his hands, and he could have sworn there was an underlying meaning to his words when he thanked his Pop Choir co-captain.

  
Zoro narrowed his eyes in suspicion when Luffy gifted Law a fancy, _real leather_ notebook that was definitely more than their agreed limit of $20. It was matte black with a gold stripe down the spine, and decorated with two straps to securely close the book. Luffy babbled on about how he had noticed how worn and old Law’s other notebook had gotten, and how he had figured he needed a new one. There was a sparkle of real happiness in the latter’s yellow eyes as he held the present in his tattooed fingers, and when he thanked the teen next to him, Zoro could tell that he really meant it.

  
The exchange did nothing to ease Zoro’s growing concern about the strange dynamic developing between the two. He just didn’t want Luffy getting hurt.

  
Robin received a surprisingly thoughtful gift from Law – a book titled _1001 Ways to Die_. She lit up immediately, turning to Zoro and gushing about how she could discuss the contents of the book at the next Death Café to be hosted at the _Silver Fox_. Zoro nodded approvingly to the quiet man across the circle, who simply blinked in response. How did his eyelids exude such apathetic arrogance?!

  
“Oh my gosh! Robin! This is amazing!” Chopper’s voice jumped up an octave as he squealed in delight, hugging the retro candy dispenser filled with colourful goodies to his chest, “Thank you so much!”

  
With an affectionate smile, Robin mused, “You are very welcome, Chopper. Though, you must know as an aspiring doctor, that you should not eat all of that in one sitting.”

  
Chopper giggled, “Robin, it’s Christmas Eve! I can eat as much candy as I want!”

  
As Franky shoved discarded gift paper into a black garbage bag, everyone stood from their little circle on the floor, pouring themselves fresh drinks and admiring their gifts. When everyone seemed comfortable, drink in hand presents tucked away into a corner where they couldn’t get knocked over, Brook cranked the volume on the PA system. Heavily distorted guitar began to pound out of the speakers, causing Luffy to perk up instantly.

  
“Yahoo! This is why Robin and Brook are in charge of music!” He exclaimed, dropping the Nerf gun he had been shooting at Usopp on the couch and booking it to the center of the room, “C’mon, guys! Let’s get this party started!”

  
As the intro of _I Believe in a Thing Called Love_ by The Darkness pounded through the room, Zoro swiftly cleared what he knew Luffy was trying to make into a dancefloor, gluing himself to the nearest wall. He knew what was about to happen. It happened every time these idiots drank together and Brook put this song (or any universally loved song, really) on.

  
Taking a quick survey of the group and their current positions in relation to the spitfire in the center of the room, he noticed Law still perched on the back of the couch, watching Luffy with unsuspecting eyes. That poor bastard didn’t know what was coming.

  
Taking pity on their newest addition, Zoro stepped away from the wall just long enough to grumble, “Come with me if you want to live,” in Law’s ear.

  
The other teen seemed thoroughly disturbed, though slightly curious, but followed Zoro to the wall regardless.

  
Just in time, too, since Luffy began to sing as loudly as possible, “ _Can’t explain all the feelings that you’re making me feel! My heart’s in overdrive, and you’re behind the steering wheel!”_

  
Law gulped, turning to shoot Zoro a terrified expression. He nodded sympathetically.

  
As if choreographed, Usopp flew into the center of the room, jokingly gripping Luffy’s sweater and shrieking in a very off pitch falsetto, “ _Touching you-oooo, touching me-eeee! Touching you, god, you’re touching me!”_

  
Brook wrapped two skinny arms around the two boys on their makeshift dancefloor, rocking back and forth and adding his voice as the chorus hit, _“I believe in a thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of my heart!"_

  
Then Franky was there and singing into his Coca-Cola bottle like it was a microphone, “ _There’s a chance we could make it now. We’ll be rocking ‘til the sun goes down. I believe in a thing called love!”_

  
With an obnoxious laugh, the stupid cook slid onto his knees in front of the quartet, playing air guitar as the track wailed a miniature solo. Apparently, as he did this, Vivi managed to move the trays of desserts off the coffee table, since all of a sudden, Nami was standing above them all.

  
_“I wanna kiss you every minute, every hour, every day! You got me in a spin, but everything is a-okay!_ ” She sang, never failing to impress with how decent her voice was.

  
“YES NAMI!” Usopp cheered, his eyes sparkling as she blushed at his words.

  
Vivi joined her on the table, wrapping an arm around the red-head’s waist and allowing her to lead her into a deep dip as she sang, “ _Touching you-oooo, touching me-eeee! Touching you, god you’re touching me!”_

  
_“I believe in a thing called love! Just listen to the rhythm of my heart!”_ Chopper chimed, his voice jumping up and down as it cracked. Rushing from his spot by the TV to join the growing group huddled in the center of the room.

  
Zoro turned to look at his last hope.

  
Surely Robin wouldn’t be insane enough to join in on this madness, right?

  
She smirked at him as she mused, “ _There’s a chance we could make it now. We’ll be rocking ‘til the sun goes down!”_ Her hips swayed as she calmly disappeared behind Franky’s large frame, her long legs occasionally visible in the mass of limbs that were jumping and swaying together.

  
“So… WHY?!” Law whispered as the song’s chorus flowed into a rousing guitar solo, the group dancing along with the music.

  
Zoro shrugged, “Can’t drink with these morons without it becoming a real life musical.”

  
“…We’re going to get sucked into this, aren’t we?”

  
“Oh, definitely,” Zoro tapped his plastic cup of booze against Law’s as the other teen groaned, “We’re just prolonging the inevitable right now.”

  
And then Robin was there in front of him, her blue eyes glittering mischievously as she gently took his hands.

  
“Noooo,” He whined, but even Law could tell his heart wasn’t fully in it. It _did_ look like an awful lot of fun.

  
“Oh hush, you know this is fun,” She winked, stepping backwards as she shimmied her hips, pulling him along by his hands.

  
Zoro shot a defeated glance at Law, “See you on the other side, Torao!”

  
He had never seen the other teen look _that_ horrified.

  
“It’s your turn,” Robin whispered into his ear, still holding his, now sweaty, hands. Of course, it wasn’t like it would have caught anyone’s attention. The whole group was a touchy mess of dancers as they broke off into partners, swinging each other around animatedly.

  
“You know I can’t sing,” Zoro grumbled, his heart pounding against his chest and flushing his face red.

  
She smirked, “Doesn’t matter. You have to.”

  
He sighed, half-speaking the line an octave lower than it was supposed to be sang, “ _Touching you-oooo, touching me-eeee!"_

  
“ _Touching you, god you’re touching me!”_ With a wink, Robin joined in, spinning around and arching her back against his chest, grinding down his body in what was clearly supposed to be a joke but was completely frying Zoro’s brain.

  
Nami’s mouth fell open as she howled, Brook and Franky shot him a thumbs up.

  
They all started clapping along with the drum beat as the last chorus hit, their voices meshing together like the best gang vocals Zoro had ever heard. It didn’t matter if some of them sounded like dying seagulls. When they sang together, it sounded great.

  
_“I believe in a thing called love! Just listen to the rhythm of my heart! There’s a chance we could make it now! We’ll be rocking ‘til the sun goes down!”_ The group was chanting as Luffy rocketed over to the wall.

  
Zoro was certain he heard some half-hearted protests from Law, and then the lanky teen was pushed into the middle of their group. As if they all knew, everyone stopped singing just in time to hear Law wail, “ _I believe in a thing called loooove!”_

  
A roar of encouragement swelled as a smile split across the typically moody teen’s face.

  
They spent the rest of the song jumping around the room. Bepo joined in on the fun, howling along with the dancing idiots and leaping up on anyone who gave him attention. They laughed, grabbing and spinning each other around. Someone called for more shots. Drinks sloshed onto the floor, feet trampled over fallen pine needles, Luffy removed a glittering snowflake that was taped to the wall and stuck it to Law’s sweater.

  
He didn’t remove it.

  
Zoro pulled Robin close, muttering for her ears only, “Can I steal you away for a second?”

  
When she nodded, he led her by the hand out of the jam space and into the chilled garage where Franky conducted his work. It wasn’t warm, by any means, but it was closed off from the snow falling outside, which meant it wasn’t unbearable. Besides, they wouldn’t be out there for long, Zoro hoped, as long as things went well.

  
“I, um,” He started, grabbing a rectangular package from the nearby shelf. He had placed it there when he had arrived precisely for this moment. He blushed as he passed it to her, “I got you something.”

  
She smiled, affection in her eyes as a soft pink dusted her high cheekbones, “Oh yeah? I suppose there’s no better time to give you something I picked up for you as well, then.”

  
She grabbed a bag that had been sitting on the other shelf.

  
Zoro chuckled, “Wait, hold on, did we have the exact same idea?”

  
“To exchange gifts away from the party? Of course. We’re not trying to make everyone jealous,” She giggled as she handed him the gift bag, “You first.”

  
Nudging the decorative tissue paper that burst forth from the bag aside, he pulled out a woolly green sweater that was decorated with jingly bells and white stitching that read “Merry DRINKmas” over a knit mug of beer. She had most definitely gotten it from the same store as her Christmas sweater.

  
“I figured you would forget to dress according to theme,” She mused.

  
“It’s hideous,” He grinned, “And perfect. Thank you, Robin.” Wasting no time, he tugged the sweater over top his white tee, holding his arms out as he turned in a circle. “How’s it look?” He chuckled.

  
“Terrible,” Robin laughed, “I love it.”

  
Zoro passed her the present that Kuina definitely hadn’t helped him wrap. His heart was racing as she daintily opened the paper from the tape, neatly unwrapping it without ripping the decorative pattern of reindeers. When she unveiled the thick hardcover book titled _Romance Through The Ages: The Evolution of Courtship Customs,_ she gasped.

  
“I thought you’d find it interesting,” He murmured, watching her trace her fingers over the picture on the front cover, “And um, I thought that it would be a nice segue into what I’m about to ask you.”

  
Her eyes shone as she watched him patiently.

  
“Robin, would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?” He gushed, unable to keep it in anymore. The weight that lifted off his chest the moment the words spewed from his mouth made him almost dizzy with excitement and he blabbered, “You’re so amazing and you’re all I think about and, goddamn, I’d even joust the fuckin’ Curly idiot to win your favour, just like it says in the book.”

  
She raised an eyebrow, laughing mirthfully, “Well, now that it’s on the table…”

  
He knew she was joking. However, he was pumped full of adrenaline and endorphins, and he welcomed the challenge.

  
“I’ll do it,” He warned.

  
She grinned, “I know.” Grabbing a pair of scissors off of Franky’s shelf, she snipped off the end of one of her sleeves before he could protest. She held the torn red ring of wool in front of her, and confused, Zoro accepted her offering. “You can put that around whatever makeshift lance you come up with for luck,” Her eyes glinted with unbridled joy.

  
With a quick nod, Zoro turned back to the door, chuckling, “You ready for this?”

  
“I was ready ages ago, Zoro,” She sang.

  
They stepped through the door to see the party was exactly how they had left it – glimmering lights, loud music, a bunch of dancing idiots, too many drinks. Law and Chopper were seated on the couch and deep in conversation, though Zoro wasn’t sure what those two of all people could have in common. Usopp was spinning Nami around the dancefloor as she giggled madly. Brook was leading Vivi in some sort of retro swing dance, the blue haired girl howling with laughter as she tripped over her feet. Franky was putting on a show by the drink table, vigorously shaking up cocktails in a tumbler for the cook and Luffy, which the latter was clearly so excited for that he had replaced the words to the current song with the words “Fuzzy” and “navel”. His repetitive chanting went ignored.

  
“OI, EVERYONE, LISTEN UP!” Zoro hollered, prompting Brook to turn the music down, “I’VE GOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE.”

  
Ten pairs of eyes stared at him, curious and unblinking.

  
“Yo, shithead!” He pointed to the cook, who scowled in response, “I challenge you to a jousting…match, or whatever, to win Robin’s hand in a relationship!”

  
“HUH?” Curly Brow’s eyes widened, “My dear, sweet Robin! Are you really going to go out with _that_ moss-head?!”

  
Robin smirked devilishly, “Only if you lose, Sanji.”

  
Zoro was fairly certain that this was all just some show for the sake of symbolism and Robin’s love of ancient history, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try to kick the stupid cook’s ass. He grinned, “You game, Dartboard?”

  
“How do we joust indoors? We don’t have lances or horses! How is this supposed to work?” The blond sputtered, anger painting his face an amusing shade of red.

  
“We’ll be your horses!” Luffy called, looping an arm around Usopp’s neck. The latter seemed significantly less thrilled about being roped into this.

  
“And you can use the Nerf guns instead of lances!” Nami added.

  
Brook clapped excitedly, “First one to fall off their horse is a bag of bones! Yo ho ho!”

  
Robin nodded, accepting the terms, and in moments, the couch and coffee table had been pushed aside to make a clean line from one end of the jam space to the other. On one end, next to the high-top table, stood Zoro and Luffy. On the other, Sanji and Usopp. Everyone else was gathered out of the way, eagerly awaiting the match to begin.

  
“Let’s do this!” Luffy cackled, crouching down in front of Zoro as the latter climbed onto his back.

  
Zoro swayed as his steed straightened up with ease, crying a mangled shriek that was probably supposed to be a neigh. Luffy locked his arms around Zoro’s legs, and Zoro sat upright, thanking his core strength as he pointed the barrel of the Nerf Infinus directly towards the cook with a cocky smile. Luffy snickered beneath him, spinning in a circle and bouncing on the balls of his feet, as if Zoro’s weight of pure muscle was but a sack of feathers to the deceptively strong teen.

  
“Okay, this is so not fair,” Usopp whined as the cook pulled himself onto the former’s back, wincing even though Curly Brow weighed significantly less than his opponent.

  
Blondie loaded his plastic weapon, as Usopp’s knees rattled violently. There was already the ghost of defeat on the shaking teen’s face, and though the shit cook seemed pretty determined to put up a good fight, Zoro knew he had this match in the bag.

  
As the excited chatter from the group hushed, Franky struck a pose, announcing, “On the count of three, the super manly jousting match to win Robin’s favour commences! 1… 2… _SUPER_!”

  
Assuming he meant 3, Luffy rocketed forward, pushing Zoro’s upper half back with the momentum. Zoro squirmed, tightening his core and pulling himself comfortably upright, focusing his steel grey eyes on the opponents as he readied his Nerf gun.

  
Usopp was moving at a much slower speed, though the rate at which he hobbled forward was certainly impressive for the young man. It wasn’t fair to compare him to a beast like Luffy. Luffy was some weird mix of obscenely tough genes and Garp’s unconventional parenting, with some martial arts training from Zoro himself thrown in there. Luffy was _Luffy_ , and poor Usopp didn’t stand a chance.

  
Franky and Brook were cheering loudly, pumping fists in the air as the Luffy and Zoro neared the opposite team. Vivi cheered on Zoro – always a sucker for true romance. Nami cheered on the cook – always the devil incarnate. Law watched quietly from his perch on the back of the couch, golden eyes glued to Luffy. Chopper cheered for Usopp, because someone had to encourage the poor bastard.

  
And Robin.

  
Robin stood at the front of the throng, hands interlocked behind her back and head cocked slightly to the side. Her expression glowed with amusement, though her attention was solely focused on Zoro. He could feel that delightfully intrusive gaze piercing his skin through the ugly Christmas sweater she had gifted him, and he puffed out his chest in determination. With her silent encouragement, he could do anything.

  
He took aim as Luffy continued to gallop towards the wobbly pair at the other side of the room, and began to fire the Styrofoam bullets at the same time as the blond moron. His first few shots flew through the air with incredible speed, zooming past the target and hitting the wall with soft _plops_! Curly Brow cackled, firing his own round. His aim was true, and Zoro took a few projectiles to the chest.

Thankfully they were awfully light, and did little to knock him off balance.

  
The idiot cook scoffed as they crossed paths, switching ends. They readied themselves once more as the cheering grew louder. The fact that Usopp had lasted an entire round was worthy of the loudest cheering possible. He was going to have to do a shot with the kid after to make up for this. That was a good way to apologize, right?

  
The second round did not last nearly as long. As both steeds trotted towards the other, Zoro set his aim directly on Curly Brow’s curtain of hair on the left side of his face. No, he didn’t aim for where the eye would be – he’s not a monster – but he aimed for the top of his head, sending bullets in quick succession cutting through the air.

  
His plan worked. The bullets grazed the top of the cook’s head, cause his hair to ruffle and part, revealing his second blue eye beneath an identical curled brow. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t seen before, as he had shown them all that his eyebrows spiraled the same direction years ago, but he personally hated to have both exposed at the same time. Again, he wasn’t a monster, he didn’t want to traumatize the asshole. Just make him a little uncomfortable.

  
The cook scoffed, lifting his hands instinctively to fix his hair, the weight displacement as he leaned backwards causing Usopp to sway beneath him. In mere seconds, the idiot guitarist had tumbled to the ground with the sound tech, long legs tangled in gangly arms.  
The crowd roared as Luffy paraded Zoro through the room. He waved proudly in victory, laughing heartily as Luffy made more of those ridiculous not-horse noises. Vivi and Chopper reached out to give him high fives, Brook and Franky were pointing at a grinning Robin with annoying suggestive looks on their faces.

  
Zoro dug his heels into Luffy’s side, ignoring the boy’s protest as he clumsily dismounted. He turned to look at Robin, metres away, simply glowing as she smiled sweetly at him.

  
He took two steps towards her, wrapping her up in his arms. She melted into his embrace, peering up at him with starry eyes, “That was a creative strategy, Zoro,” She smirked, “Perhaps not the most fair, but creative nonetheless.”

  
He raised an eyebrow, “Do you want to dispute the results of the match?”

  
She was quick to shake her head, “Not in the slightest.”

  
And then they were kissing. In front of all their friends. All their loud, obnoxious, idiotic, wonderful friends.

  
He was pretty sure Franky and Brook were patting him on the back while he was locking lips with his _girlfriend_ , ruining the moment entirely and making him realize just how wildly inappropriate that was.

  
Robin’s soft lips curled upwards as she giggled into his mouth, before pulling away to fix both adults with a fierce glare, “Excuse you, I’m trying to have a moment with my _boyfriend_.”

  
With hearty chuckles, the two men retreated to the drink table to concoct around of celebratory shots, calling the rest of the group to join them.

  
Zoro took a moment to lean his forehead against the smooth black fringe that Robin sported, staring into her beautiful, crystalline eyes. As per usual, reading his mind, she leaned in and placed a deep kiss on his lips, radiating an intense, special happiness that Zoro wasn’t sure he had ever felt before. It was so different from the rush of endorphins post-kendo tournament, or show at _Shakky’s_. It was unique, it was intoxicating, and Zoro couldn’t wait to get more.

  
With a wink, she pulled him over to the drink table to join in on the shots.

  
It was certainly a night to remember. Drinks flowed and Brook and Robin kept the music pumping – an appropriate mix of holiday classics mixed with a wide variety of the group’s favourite tunes, taking everyone’s taste into consideration – late into the night. It was convenient that the jam space was located in a large two story building with nothing around the lot other than Franky’s house, since there were no neighbours to complain about noise. Well, except for Perona.

  
However, once she texted Robin to tell them to chill out, the latter simply invited her to join, and the guitarist for Cherry Bomb made an appearance for a couple of hours. She introduced them to a round of cherry bomb shots – which was simply Red Bull and Cherry Schnapps, and oh man, did that ever extend the party even later.

  
Zoro chuckled as he sipped his glass of whiskey, affectionately eyeing the party animals around him. Usopp, Nami, Chopper, Franky and the cook seemed to be playing a makeshift game of Pictionary on the plain side of discarded wrapping paper. It didn’t seem as if they were actually following rules, simply taking turns drawing something while the others shouted out guesses. According to the tallies on the sheet, Usopp was winning by far.

  
Brook and Perona were on either side of Vivi, who sat in on the side of the couch that wasn’t occupied by the furry mound of Bepo and Sunny, huddled over her phone as they whispered things in her ear. The pink haired guitarist was laughing shrilly, clapping her hands together in excitement as Brook placed an encouraging hand on Vivi’s shoulder. The blue haired girl took a deep breath and nodded, typing furiously on the glowing screen in front of her.

  
Luffy was simultaneously bouncing off the walls and falling asleep at the same time, clinging to Law as if he was the only person in the room that mattered. Law was clearly wasted off his ass, grinning more than Zoro had ever seen and seeming unbelievably comfortable with Luffy’s touches. At one point, the smaller teen slid into the small space between where Law sat on the floor and the wall, curling his body around the lanky man and hooking his chin over his shoulder to laugh hysterically at something on Law’s phone. Zoro could have sworn that Law leaned back into Luffy’s chest.

  
It was then that the song abruptly switched to a track opening with the twanging acoustic guitar of _In the Aeroplane Over the Sea_ by Neutral Milk Hotel – one of Robin’s favourites.

  
“Care to dance?” She asked, appearing at his side and making him flinch. She laughed at his reaction.

  
“How do you do that?!” Zoro chuckled, taking her hand and leading her onto their little dance floor. He had never been one for dancing, always considering it lame and cheesy, but he simply couldn’t say no to her. With her, it seemed okay. He leapt at any chance to have a moment with her to himself.

  
She grinned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing close to him as he held her hips, “I told you, I can’t give away all my secrets.”

  
“Are you a witch or something?” He mused into her ear as she rested her head against his collarbone, swaying in time with the song.

The glittering lights strung above them tinted Robin’s hair the same purple of the spotlight. Zoro was certain that that specific shade of violet was his favourite colour.

  
Her laughter vibrated against his chest, “Modern sorcery is indeed making a comeback. You haven’t even seen my apartment yet. The witchy vibes are real.”

  
He was certain she could feel his heart rate increase, “You saying I’ll get to see it at all?”

  
She snorted, “Of course. Not tonight, of course, but eventually.”

  
There was moment in his peripheral and Zoro watched as Brook led Perona onto the dancefloor, spinning the young woman so that the skirt of her Victorian goth style dress spun out. She laughed that shrill, strange sound as the old man complimented the stitching job on the ruffles. She must have made it herself. Moments later, Nami was dragging a flustered Usopp into the middle of the two pairs, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck.

  
Zoro shot him a surprised glance. Usopp blinked back, face flushed and eyes dazed, as if he wasn’t quite sure what was going on himself.

  
“Hey, what if we hang out after next practice or something? Like, in your apartment?” He suggested, murmuring into her hair as they continued to step slowly around the room.

  
“Okay,” She said after a while, “That would be acceptable.”

  
“Only if you want to! I’m perfectly content to stay in the jam space,” He added, concerned that she may have gotten the wrong idea. He didn’t want her to think he was trying to pressure her into anything.

  
She lifted her head to fix her piercing eyes on him, “No, I would certainly prefer the privacy…” She paused to fix her lips to his, “…Of my apartment.”

  
There was a heat coiling in his abdomen just from her _words_. Maybe she was a witch after all.

  
It was then that the door flew open and a young man sauntered in, clad in nothing but a hoodie and some khaki shorts.

  
“PARTY’S OVER, YOU DRUNKARDS! THE SHUTTLE HAS ARRIVED!” Ace hollered with a good-natured smile. He placed his hands on his hips and grinned even wider at the groans that met his declaration.

  
The only one visibly happy to see the young man was Bepo, who, thrilled at the concept of meeting someone new, stood up from the couch abruptly, knocking a disgruntled Sunny to the floor as he rocketed over to the newcomer. The fluffy white dog showered Ace with affection as he cooed into the fluffy fur of the dog’s neck.

  
“Ace?” The cook looked up from their Pictionary game, mouth agape and looking like a prize dumbass. There was an interesting blush that began to flood his cheeks, and Zoro knew that it couldn’t just be blamed on the alcohol. He had been as pasty as ever mere moments ago.

  
Zoro hummed lowly.

  
Robin untangled herself from his embrace as Brook begrudgingly turned down the music, peering at her boyfriend expectantly. He simply shook his head. It was none of his business.

  
“Oi! Sanji! How did Zoro like his gift?” Ace called, turning to look at Zoro with a snicker.

  
At the reminder of the moss ball of everlasting love, both he and the blond scowled.

  
“Not cool, Ace,” Sanji muttered, clumsily crossing his arms across his chest, “You set me up.”

  
“This asshole can have my everlasting _fist_ instead,” Zoro added, stepping forward in a threatening motion towards the cook.

  
“Oh c’mon, guys. It was funny,” Usopp slurred as he began to pour another drink.

  
“Hey! Nose! No way! Home time!” Ace called.

  
“Booo, when did you get so lame?” Luffy whined, still curled around Law, “Have a drink with us!”

  
His brother raised an eyebrow when he saw the younger teen snuggled around the lanky teen – who was nodding enthusiastically at Luffy’s suggestion in a way that was so unlike the Law they had become accustomed to. Zoro couldn’t believe his eyes.

  
Ace sighed, “Dude, it’s 2am. Gramps wanted you home by midnight and I was able to extend it this late. C’mon, we have our Christmas morning tradition tomorrow… er, today?”

  
They all sighed in defeat. He had a point. Zoro knew that Kuina would be eagerly awaiting him to arrive home in the morning (He had already decided in advance that he would be crashing on the couch in the jam space) to open presents and enjoy a family brunch. There were many people out there that didn’t get to enjoy the same sort of family bonding time that the holidays brought. He knew he shouldn’t take it for granted.

  
“OKAY! Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Chopper…” Ace counted on his hands before shrugging, “Torao, you and Bepo can ride in the front and the others can squish in the back.”

  
“Have we met?” Law’s eyes narrowed in confusion, unfocused and sleepy.

  
He chuckled, gesturing to the monkey on the teen’s back, “Heard enough about you from Luf to put two and two together.”

  
Law blushed, ducking his head away.

  
Oh boy, why did Zoro have to witness all of this evidence? It made him feel like he was involved by association, like he should pull Luffy or Law aside and talk to them about how weird and unlikely this situation was, which he obviously did not want to do. Maybe someone else had noticed by know and could do it for him.

  
There was reluctance in Ace’s eyes as he rounded up the group, like he was truly disappointed to be the one to end the good times. Zoro was sure that the young adult really did want to enjoy a drink with them, but then no one would have a way home, which was clearly priority.

  
The cook must have noticed the same thing, as he chimed, “This just means you have to have a drink with us next time!” His voice cracked at the end of the last word and he flushed with fresh colour.

  
Ace grinned as the five teens and a dog stumbled out through the door that Luffy’s brother held open. He winked at the cook and chuckled, “Of course. See you later.”

  
The words were meant for everyone, but he stared directly at the idiot blond.

  
Franky – with Sunny in his arms – and Brook retired shortly after half the group had left, claiming that they would clean up the space in the morning. Robin, Perona, Zoro, and the cook echoed that they would help. Perona made her way to the exit after one more drink, turning back to ask Robin, “You coming?”

  
Robin blushed, and nodded, “Just give me a second.”

  
The cook was polite enough to excuse himself for a smoke at that moment.

  
“Thanks for everything, boyfriend,” She whispered against his lips as she wrapped her arms around him.

  
He captured the plump lips in a searing kiss that set his insides on fire. Oh, how he wished their night didn’t have to end there. Though, he knew that they would have plenty of time to spend together, to create more moments, and that simply made him excited to see her again, although she was still in front of him. Gods, he was drunker than usual.

  
“No, thank you, girlfriend,” He squeezed her tightly to his chest, “Goodnight.”

  
By the time the stupid blond returned from the cold, snowy outdoors, Zoro was sitting against the wall, staring at the mess of the jam space and sipping from one last drink.

  
“You aren’t drunk enough, marimo?” The cook grumbled, stumbling as he shrugged his jacket off.

  
“I can handle my alcohol better than some swirly-browed losers,” He taunted.

  
It was no surprise when the guitarist poured himself another drink, falling for the trap. It was surprising, however, when he slid down the wall to sit next to him on the floor, long legs outstretched. He was practically leaning against Zoro’s shoulder, oblivious thanks to the alcohol.

  
It was silent for a moment as they sipper their beverages, eyes focusing on the twinkling lights of the tree, on the garbage bag of wrapping paper that had been opened for Pictionary, at the surprising amount of empty bottles on the drink table. It seemed they were both reminiscing on the moments that had passed mere hours ago.

  
“So,” Curly Brow slurred, elbowing him in the side, “Robin, eh?”

  
Zoro narrowed his eyes, shooting back, “So, Ace, eh?”

  
The body next to him stiffened, and when Zoro turned his to face the idiot, he was giggling while shaking his head, clumsily trying to cover his face to hide the skin beneath, flushed a bright red.

  
“I won’t say anything, moron,” Zoro shrugged, “Couldn’t care less, really.”

  
The cook let out a strangled mix between a protest and a laugh, his brow furrowing in evident frustration over his inability to voice what he was trying to say without giggling like a school girl.

  
Zoro sighed, “Do you really think _that’s_ going to change my opinion of you?”

  
Curly Brow shrugged, letting his hand flop to his side, giving upon shielding his face. It was too late for that, of course. Zoro had already seen the tomato prince in all his glory.

  
“Dude, look,” He snapped, not at all comfortable with the lack of response from his typically snarky rival, “I dislike you because you prefer to treat Robin and Nami and Vivi like they’re objects to worship and not actual people, because you are so insecure about your musical abilities instead of being confident, because you act like you’re superior to all of us when you’re the most self-conscious deep down. Those things make you weak.”

  
“Gee, thanks. Can you pour some more salt in the wound?” Blondie grumbled, slow and slurred.

  
Zoro rolled his eyes, “But you know what? Your food is okay. You can land a mean kick. You take your responsibilities seriously and you never half-ass something. You see the big picture instead of focusing on little details. I like that about you. Those things make you strong.”

  
The cook’s head lolled to the side, his visible blue eye peering at him suspiciously as he listened to the other teen’s words.

  
“So if Ace is gonna make you love yourself for who you are, maybe your stupid insecurities won’t be in my dislike column anymore and you’ll be a hell of a lot more tolerable,” The drummer looked away from his interested gaze.

  
“Huh,” The blonde hiccupped as he poked Zoro’s reddening cheek, “Almost sounds like you want me to _happy_.”

  
“Whatever. You could be dead in a ditch tomorrow and I wouldn’t shed a tear,” He grunted.

  
They tapped their glasses together, lifting the plastic rims to their lips and downing the rest of the alcohol. Sanji stood, staggering over to the couch and collapsing on it with a loud groan. Zoro stayed where he was against the wall. He could sleep here. That would be perfectly fine with him. It would only be for a couple of hours anyway.

  
“Oh,” He called over to the idiot, “Quit worrying about Law, won’t you? Luffy’s not trying to replace you. He’s just being an oblivious dumbass.”

  
There was a pause before a head of golden hair shot up from the couch, “Okay, wait, yeah, what the fuck was that tonight?!”

  
Zoro groaned, “So I’m not seeing things?”

  
“As much as I would like to take a jab at your inability to interpret human body language, your success with dear Robin has proved otherwise,” His impressive choice of words were mangled and hard to make out, and Zoro chose to ignore what he assumed was a jab at him.

  
“So… Law has a thing for our Captain, eh?” He leaned his head against the wall, staring up at the string lights shining above him.

  
“Seems like Luffy is just as interested in him,” The cook mused in sing-song, hooking a long leg over the side of the couch in an attempt to get more comfortable. What an absolute weirdo.

  
“Will this knowledge help you stop being a fucking baby at practice?” Zoro shot at the leg dangling over the furniture.

  
His red and white clad foot flexed in response, “Yeah, sure.”

  
Zoro frowned as he heard the lack of confidence in the cook’s voice. He was such a moron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song at the beginning is Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) and I imagine it loosely like the Death Cab For Cutie version, but with improvised crooning lol
> 
> I strongly suggest listening to I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness to fully appreciate our spontaneous musical scene, which was inspired by the brilliant [hiraeth_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan) <3
> 
> Zoro and Sanji moments melt my heart <3  
> And awe, look at drunk Law letting Luffy climb all over him!


	14. Summertime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy runs into Law on Christmas morning, prompting the latter to make a drastic decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a song by My Chemical Romance that perfectly sums up our boys in this chapter. Except it's December and not summer... Oh well.

_“I’m on fire, and now I think I’m ready to bust a move,”_ Luffy sang softly under his breath, large yellow headphones acting as earmuffs in the brisk Christmas morning air, “ _Check it out I’m rocking steady to the beat in my head, it goes oh-oh-oh.”_

  
He danced down the sidewalk, sliding his sneakers through the slush and de-icing salt, and wiggling his hips, pumping his hands softly along with the music flowing into his eardrums. He wasn’t moving dramatically enough to make a scene, but oddly enough to make a stranger thing he was probably under the influence of some sort of drug. That wasn’t the case. He just really liked the song he was listening to, and damn it, he was going to enjoy it. 

  
Pausing as a particularly frigid gust of wind blew directly into his face, he used the opportunity to open his mouth wide, the wind catching in his cheeks and making them puff out. He snickered. It felt funny. 

  
He wasn’t sure if the amusing sensation was worth it, though, since it made his teeth awfully cold and achy. He ran his tongue over their surface, trying to warm them up, but it wasn’t very effective. Thankfully, he was certain that where he was headed would solve his problem.

  
Every Christmas morning, Luffy (accompanied by a brother when younger, and Garp when they were tiny) walked down to _Totto Land_ , a bakery specializing in donuts and cakes that was approximately eight blocks south from his house. It was a small shop that was fashioned to look as if it was made out of chocolate and cookies, and was quite popular among couples searching for a wedding cake, mostly due to the fact that the owner’s 12 children all used their own nuptials as advertisements for the bakery. Luffy found it pretty neat that he had the opportunity to watch the little shop grow in popularity over the years, from a relatively small selections of cookies and donuts when he was younger, to 24 unique donuts on a rotating schedule, scones, loaves, cookies, and cakes. 

  
Luffy had mixed feelings on the owner of the shop. LinLin was a massive woman who still loomed over the teen even after all these years, with pink hair that had faded with age, and beady eyes that were often lost in her wrinkles. If he caught her in a good mood, she would give him an extra treat on the house. If she missed lunch break, though, she was often foul mouthed and, as they say, _hangry_ , often charging him for said treats she had given out the previous visit.

  
He hoped the Christmas spirit had her in a giving mood, but the fact that she had to open the store on Christmas morning probably hinted that she wouldn’t be the happiest.

  
“ _Betty, it’s so hard to relate…da da da human race! I don’t know where to begin… somethin’ somethin’ begin,”_ Luffy mumbled as he sauntered down the street in what could only be described as skip-shimmy hybrid. He figured it would probably be another 15 minutes or so until he reached the shop, not that he cared. The sun was out and he was dressed appropriately for the weather, the headphones being a new gift from Sabo. He was enjoying his little walk.

  
There was an excited bark up ahead, and Luffy lifted his eyes from the shoes that were dancing in the slush to see Bepo tugging a very surprised Law behind him.

  
“BEPO!” He cried, tugging his headphones to hang around his neck as he rushed forward to close the distance between himself and the fluffy Samoyed. Paws pushed against his red winter jacket, leaving wet prints on the fabric. He allowed the dog to cover his face in licks, before ducking his head and pushing it into Luffy’s chest, tail wagging wildly. Luffy continued to scratch Bepo behind his ears as he beamed up at the tall teen accompanying the dog, “TORAO!”

  
Law looked like he had just rolled out of bed, and hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep at that. The dark circles around his eyes were deeper than usual, and not due to the smudged eyeliner that he donned on occasion. There were red crease marks across one cheek, clearly from a fold in his pillow case. Luffy wondered if the texture would feel interesting beneath his fingertips, if the imprints were as warm as they looked.

  
He blinked, suddenly feeling warmer himself. 

  
Law must have said something, as he was watching Luffy with an expectant expression, adjusting his white toque with the black spots and raising an eyebrow when the other teen failed to answer. Luffy’s brain couldn’t focus on the words that were leaving Law’s moving lips, he was too distracted by how… how nice Law looked in his long black jacket, hugging his waist and elongating his already tall frame. There he was, in distressed jeans and combat boots and his pretty jacket, looking like he had just woken up and oh, hey was that a speck of sleep in his eyelash? Did he know? Should he reach out and – 

  
“Luffy? Are you okay?” Law sounded concerned, and when Luffy finally registered that he was being spoken to, he realized that he had a hand outstretched towards the other teen’s face, transfixed on removing the sleep from his eye. It didn’t belong there. It was like… like a speck of dust on a painting.

  
“Huh?” Luffy shook his head swiftly, “Yeah, I’m fine. Merry Christmas, Torao!” He beamed up at the other teen, shoving his hand into his pocket and pretending like that hadn’t been odd at all. 

  
Law frowned at his words, ducking his head to look at his boots as he shuffled them against the slushy sidewalk, “Not hungover this morning?”

  
Luffy laughed, “Nah, I’ve never been hungover in my life! Sabo says I have a horseshoe up my ass. Ace says it’ll catch up to me one day.” Bepo leaned against his leg and he reached down to rub his head.

  
“That is certainly lucky,” Law nodded, before opening his mouth wide in a yawn. He lifted a tattooed hand to cover it up, but not before Luffy had gotten a glimpse at all of his shiny, white teeth, of the textured roof of his mouth, of his tongue flexing. Did Law ever run the tip of his tongue along the ridge at the top of his mouth? Did it tickle and make him laugh, like Luffy? What if… what if someone else did it? What would that feel like?

  
The warmth was building inside of him. 

  
“Um,” Luffy was eager to get rid of the weird itch that had begun to tingle on his skin, “What are your plans for the day?”

  
Law shrugged, “Absolutely nothing.”

  
“Nothing?!” Luffy’s brow furrowed, “But it’s Christmas! Don’t you and your uncle ever – ”

  
He knew it was the wrong thing to say before Law stiffened, gripping Bepo’s leash tighter as the dog whined at the reaction, pawing at the ground impatiently. 

  
“Ah, I’m sorry,” He felt like an idiot.

  
The lanky teen stared at him with eyes devoid of emotion as he spoke lowly, “It’s fine. Hope you have a good day, Mr. Straw Hat.”

  
Law had already turned on his heel and was walking back the way he had came when Luffy called out, “Torao, wait!”

  
There was a flash of gold as Law’s eyed him over his shoulder, pausing mid step.

  
“Come to my house. Right now. Let’s go.”

  
Luffy watched as shoulders hunched and Law’s frame stood abnormally still for what felt like far too long. Bepo had already begun trotting back towards Luffy, just following whoever was most likely to give him attention. Law spoke with his back still facing Luffy, “…Why?”

  
“Why not?” Luffy countered, “Don’t think so much. Just… C’mon!” He bounded forward, Bepo’s tail picking up speed because someone was running. Luffy understood the dog’s excitement. Running was fun. 

  
Grabbing Law’s free hand, Luffy tugged his arm in the direction of his house, a wild grin on his face. The icy sidewalk made him slip slightly, but that did not deter him from pulling himself back upright and snickering at Law’s bewildered expression. 

  
“Luffy… My uncle… I can’t…” He protested, yet his feet were already propelling him forward. He took one step, and then two, and then he broke into a full blown sprint. 

  
“We’ll figure it out later!” Luffy cried, his eyes squinting as the cold winter air hit their faces head on. 

  
It was brisk and chilling and made their skin burn and their bones ache, but that didn’t stop them from running, hand in hand, down the slushy sidewalk, Bepo barrelling in front of them. The dog was just happy to be a part of such a fun activity, and Luffy, well Luffy hoped that Law felt as free as he did in that moment. 

  
Luffy thought he did, because he started to laugh. A laugh that vibrated his body and tensed the hand that Luffy held and sent hot tears streaming down his face. It was a symphony of pain broken by reckless abandon, and a pinch of actual happiness. His eyes, despite the harsh wind, were peeled open, wide with exhilaration as he breathed heavily in between bouts of laughter. Bepo began to howl, and Luffy, too, added his voice to the mix. They sounded like three wolves who had been rejected from their packs, so they had decided to form their own, and it was beautiful.

  
And then they were on Luffy’s front porch, gasping for breath as their chuckles faded on the cold winter breeze. 

  
“Ah, shit, forgot my keys again,” Luffy groaned, untangling his hand from Law’s to knock on the door. 

  
He noticed Law staring at his hand for a moment, before slowly placing it in the pocket of his jacket, gently, as if it was something special. 

  
Luffy looked at his own hand. Had he gotten something on Law? Perhaps some chocolate from earlier in the morning? He frowned as he found nothing unusual on his hand, save for the warmth of the flesh that was swiftly fading. Law’s warmth. Torao’s warmth. 

  
He looked up at the other teen, and something gentle in Law’s golden gaze hit him right in the heart. 

  
What a strange feeling.

  
The door opened to reveal Gramps in all his glory – Tall, broad, obscenely muscular for his age, scruffy, and intimidating. He wore a white and blue pinstriped pajama shirt beneath a navy blue bathrobe, and a pair of sweatpants. How a man managed to look so terrifying in his pajamas never ceased to amaze Luffy. He had seen Zoro cower plenty of times when Gramps had wandered into the kitchen, demanding coffee, after a sleepover. His grandpa was so funny. 

  
Vice Principal Garp raised an eyebrow, scowling at the two teens and dog on his doorstep. Then, he noticed the fresh tear tracks down Law’s cheeks, the way the boy’s hands trembled, the ghost of a bruise on his jaw, and various small scars on his lips. His narrowed eyes softened. 

  
“So, we send you out for donuts, and you bring back your boyfriend, a polar bear, and _no donuts_?” He grumbled, though his grin removed any anger from his tone.

  
Luffy pouted, ignoring Law’s flustered squeak next to him as the lanky teen threw up his hands and shook his head. Bepo wagged his tail in greeting, sniffing at the new friend in front of him. 

  
“Can Torao and Bepo stay with us for a bit?” Luffy asked. 

  
“Um, no, I mean, it’s okay! I don’t have to…” Law was sputtering, trying to talk over Luffy and reeling Bepo in closer to him. 

  
“You can stay as long as you want,” Garp answered sternly, ignored his blabbering and focusing on Luffy’s question. He leaned down to scratch the Samoyed behind his ears as he grunted, “Trafalgar Law, right? You’re a smart kid. Maybe you can help his grades.”

  
Then, he stepped aside, leaving the door wide open as he stomped down the hallways towards the kitchen, hollering for Ace to go pick up the donuts that Luffy had forgotten about, and subsequently welcoming Law and Bepo into his home. 

  
“Luffy,” Law murmured as Bepo eagerly pulled towards the open door, “Are you sure this is okay? I mean, I don’t have any clothes, and I’ll have to go back at some point, and what if – ”

  
“I have some clothes that are too big for me. Plus you can borrow Ace’s,” Luffy shot him a comforting smile, “When you want to go back to get your stuff, I’ll go with you. It’ll all be okay.”

  
Ace, who had wandered over to the door to throw on his shoes, and definitely not a jacket because it’s _Ace_ we’re talking about here, had overheard the conversation and argued, “Hey, you can’t just offer up my clothes, idiot!” He swatted Luffy’s head lightly.

  
“It’s not like you wear them anyway!” Luffy countered, gesturing to his brother’s shorts.

  
Ace shrugged, turning his attention to Law and adding, “Actually, Sabo left a bunch of clothes here when he moved to residence. We were gonna donate them but forgot. Looks like they’ll come in handy.” 

  
Law blinked, looking rather dazed and overwhelmed by all the kindness being offered to him.

  
Ace went to place a hand on his shoulder, but Luffy pushed it away with a stern glare, “Torao doesn’t like being touched.”

  
There was a flash of surprise across those yellow eyes, followed by calm gratitude as Law looked down at Luffy.

  
Ace observed the little interaction and chuckled, retracting his hand and nodding in understanding, “Okay, good to know. I’ll respect that. Now get your asses inside so I can go get the donuts you _forgot_.”

  
“HEAT ISN’T FREE, YA BRATS!” Garp shouted from the kitchen.

  
Law unclipped Bepo’s leash, and the mountain of fur careened down the hallway, sliding on the hardwood floors. His tail was a white blur, his tongue lolling out from between his teeth. There was a shout of excitement from the kitchen, accompanied by a deeper, more resigned acknowledgement that the dog was indeed cute. 

  
Luffy toed off his sneakers and hung up his jacket, gesturing for Law to do the same as the other teen stepped into the heated house, closing the door behind him. He slowly shed off his pretty coat, revealing a thin black long sleeved shirt. The sleeves were rolled up, revealing the tattoos on his forearms, and the neck dipped into a wide “V”. Luffy felt his mouth go dry as he saw the tips of a tattoo over his collarbones. 

  
Just what did that tattoo look like? Did it cover his chest? What… What did Law look like without his shirt on? 

  
The warmth below his stomach returned. 

  
“Come meet Sabo!” He blurted as Law watched him curiously, the tan skin of his face still rather red, though they were now shielded from the cold.

  
The other teen followed Luffy quietly as he skipped down the hallways, not unlike the way Bepo had skittered towards the kitchen.

When he entered the brightly lit room, he was met with the sight of his blond brother seated at the marble island, sipping a coffee and reading the _Arts & Music_ section of the newspaper. Garp sat on the stool next to him, with an identical mug, and a different section of the paper in his hands. It was a good thing that the two looked nothing alike, for if they did, they would have appeared eerily similar.

Bepo had settled himself on the floor by the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. 

  
“Coffee’s in the pot,” Garp rumbled, jabbing a thumb to the kitchen counter by the sink.

  
Sabo folded his reading material and looked up in welcome when Law entered the room. He smiled invitingly and chimed, “You must be the _Torao_ Luffy won’t shut up about. I’m Sabo. I would shake your hand, but I heard Luf just yell at Ace that you don’t like being touched so…”

  
Law followed Luffy to the coffee maker, responding, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hear you’re living on campus? What are you studying?”

  
Luffy handed his friend a yellow mug with a smiley face on it. He thought that would be the best choice for Law because yellow was a cheerful colour, and he wanted the teen to smile more. He poured himself a mug of the steaming beverage, and they both sat down across from Garp and Sabo. 

  
“I’m a Political Science major,” Sabo answered, “Though I’m considering a minor in International Relations.”

  
Law nodded, before noticing that Luffy was pouring his fifth spoonful of sugar into his coffee. He looked horrified.

  
“What?” Luffy snickered. 

  
“Brat doesn’t believe us when we tell him he just doesn’t like coffee,” Garp muttered, shaking his head as Luffy took a sip and giggled wildly. 

  
“How have your teeth not rotted yet? Do you do this everyday?” Law asked, pretty golden eyes wide and fixed on him. 

  
“Only on special occasions,” Sabo explained, taking a sip from his own mug. The steam fogged his glasses. Luffy was pretty sure he didn’t actually need them to see. “Can you imagine how insufferable he would be if he drank this every day?” He laughed.

  
Luffy was already vibrating lightly in his seat, tapping his feet against the foot rest on the stool.

  
Law just shook his head, “I don’t ever want to find out.”

  
He beamed at him, reaching out an arm to loop it around Law’s neck and pull his cheek against his, “Nah, you’d still like me.”

  
Sabo raised his eyebrow, “Luffy, you just touched him.”

  
“Well, yeah, I’m the exception, right Torao?” He blinked.

  
Law’s cheeks turned red again, and Luffy immediately wondered if there was a draft in the kitchen, if Law was perhaps cold. He had noticed that the other teen’s face often darkened outside in the cold, when the jam space got a bit too warm, and when he drank. He was really flushed last night. 

  
Sabo nudged Garp, who raised his eyebrow at the blond. Sabo grinned mischievously and nodded towards Luffy and Law. Garp hummed in disinterest before turning back to the paper.

  
“So, Law,” Sabo folded his hands in front of him, resting his chin on them and staring intensely at the teen next to Luffy, “You’re graduating this year, correct?”

  
“I am, indeed.”

  
“A year older than my brother, eh? Very interesting,” Sabo’s glasses glinted as he leaned forward. Luffy took a sip of sugary coffee, watching the conversation, intrigued. 

  
“Two, actually,” Law lifted his mug to his lips, “I’m 18. I was homeschooled for a while, and was enrolled in public school in the grade a year behind me, just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”

  
The blond narrowed his eyes like he was not fond of this answer, “Excited for prom?”

  
“I’m not going,” Law drawled, face even and indifferent. Luffy wasn’t surprised. Prom didn’t seem like his scene. Nami and Vivi would definitely get more of a kick out of it.

  
“And what are your plans for post-secondary?” 

  
He thought for a moment, tapping his long, tattooed fingers on the countertop before answering, “I’ve been thinking about going into medicinal science at Sabaody University, but that is subject to change.”

  
Sabo elbowed Garp once more, enthusing, “Hey, doctors make good money!”

  
Garp shot his son a hard look, muttering something about constant interruptions as he turned the page of his newspaper.

  
“Okay, last one,” Sabo promised, though the devilish glint in his eyes promised Luffy that Law was not going to like the next question, “What are your intentions with my baby brother?”

  
Law choked briefly on the coffee, though recovered swiftly, shaking his head and speaking in a level voice, “Luffy has become a very close friend of mine, and I do intend to keep it that way.”

  
“Hmmm,” Unfolding his hands and visibly relaxing in his seat, Sabo nodded, “Very well. You can have the clothes I left here.”

  
Law nodded curtly. Luffy noticed that his eyes were just as guarded as they had been when he had first started trying to befriend the aloof teen. His jaw was tight. His fingers thrummed against the counter in a steady beat. He was uncomfortable. He did not feel safe here.

  
Luffy frowned. He would change that. 

  
There was a creaking noise as Ace returned to the house, and two large pink boxes were soon placed in the middle of the island. 

  
“Oh man, ol’ LinLin was _not_ happy to see me today,” Ace laughed, “She nearly refused to give me anything. I told her that if she did, Gramps here would take her out for dinner.”

  
Garp slammed down the newspaper, standing with astonishing speed to shout, “You said _WHAT_ now?!”

  
“I said what I said,” Ace shrugged, opening the first box and biting into a dense vanilla ring glazed with chocolate, “It was for the donuts, Gramps. The _donuts_.”

  
“I am not taking that horrendous woman on a date,” Garp insisted, growling in a low voice as he grabbed Ace by the collar.

  
His son continued to chew lazily, “Well, your problem next year when we can’t get our donuts, then.”

  
Letting go of the unfazed young adult and sinking back onto his stool, Garp groaned and ran a large hand over his face, “Just kill me now, you ungrateful brats. Put me out of my misery.”

  
“Gramps, you’re so funny,” Luffy cackled. He could feel Law’s warm eyes on him. He seemed to like when he laughed. 

  
Deciding to show Law his room, in hopes that he would feel a bit more comfortable in a space with just the two of them, Luffy opened the second box of donuts, removing three of them (9 just for him was fair right? His family didn’t know Law was gluten intolerant…) and carrying the rest of the box up to his room. Law followed him, insisting he had already eaten and that Luffy didn’t have to worry about him. Bepo was close behind, trotting after them curiously.

  
Luffy kicked open his bedroom door, plopping his sugary breakfast down on the bed next to his acoustic guitar before gesturing for Law to come in. Bepo beat him to it, rushing right onto the mattress and curling up into a tight ball among the pile of bedsheets before his owner had even set foot on the beige carpet. 

  
Placing his hands on his hips, Luffy sighed in satisfaction while he glanced around his room, imagining that he was seeing it for the first time. It wasn’t tiny, but it wasn’t large either. Ace had the larger room as it still had Sabo’s old bed in it. The old carpet, gave way to bright red walls, plastered with various band posters and one wall in particular was dedicated to glossy photos of him and his friends. He hoped Law had snapped some good photos yesterday to add to his collection. Old track and field ribbons that he had gotten in elementary school were pinned to a shelf that held his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figurines, just above the little, rarely used wooden desk in the corner next to the one window that looked out onto the front lawn. Light streamed in through the glass panes, shining a sliver of sun onto the assorted clothes strewn about the floor, and suddenly feeling oddly self-conscious, Luffy used his foot to nudge them into a pile inside his closet. 

  
It wasn’t much, but it was home. 

  
“You sure I can stay here?” Law sounded unsure. He was thinking too much again.

  
Luffy nodded enthusiastically, “Why not, right?”

  
His eyes narrowed and his lips trembled slightly as he stared at the twin sized bed.

  
“Oh!” Luffy laughed, “We’ll pull Sabo’s mattress in here. It’ll fit fine in front of the closet.”

  
With a resigned sigh – though Luffy knew Law was feeling absolutely elated, he could just tell – they wandered down the hall to Ace’s room, not bothering to knock since they knew he was downstairs. 

  
Several annoyed grumbles from Law, amused giggles from Luffy, and the occasional shout of “PIVOT!” later, they had managed to squeeze the old twin sized mattress onto the floor, leaving a small gap between both the closet and the bed for morning maneuvering purposes. They worked quickly, dressing the bed in clean sheets and a spare duvet that they had found in the linen closet. Luffy donated one of his two pillows to the bed on the floor. He only needed one, after all. 

  
The room seemed far smaller with the additional bed, but it was okay. The moment Law flopped onto his makeshift bed, lifting an arm to cover his eyes as he grinned at the ceiling, Luffy knew that he had done the right thing. Law’s aura felt so happy, so free. He hoped he would always feel this way. 

  
“Did you have fun at the party last night, Torao?” Luffy asked, suddenly overwhelmed with a need to hear the other teen’s low, velvety voice again.

  
He lowered his arm, turning his head to stare up at Luffy, where he sat on the bed next to Bepo. “Yeah… Yeah, I did,” He whispered.

  
“Were you hungover this morning?” 

  
Law rolled those pretty golden eyes, “Okay, maybe a little, but all of…” He gestured vaguely, “This has made it tolerable.”

  
“You let me hug you lots last night,” Luffy snickered, the memory of being draped around the taller teens lanky body heating his face.

  
Law blinked as if startled and he frowned, his lips twitching tensely, his brow furrowing. “You’re right, I did,” He murmured.

  
“Is that a bad thing?”

  
“I… don’t know,” Law turned his face away, staring at the closet door, “It was okay, I guess.”

  
Recognizing that the other teen didn’t want to talk about it, Luffy grabbed his guitar, his fingers automatically dancing across the fretboard in the song he had been practicing lately. He wasn’t the strongest guitarist, preferring to stick to the power chords that rhythm guitar parts often gifted him, but he had been itching to try something new lately, and had been working on his picking. 

  
It surprised him when Law started singing, his voice raspy and hoarse from lying down.

  
“ _Dead dreams and debauchery scenes, I spent my last three bucks on the last thing that I need. There’s no way that I’ll end in the black for this term. Guess I got a lot to learn,”_ He mumbled. 

  
“You know Modern Baseball?” Luffy grinned, continuing the song. He stuttered a little bit, shook his head in frustration, and then kept picking.

  
Law simply nodded, “ _Eight hours on the top of a bus, just to find out in the end, I will never stop falling in love. I’m alright and I’m always getting better. Let the fire burn low ‘cause we like it that way. We let the ash flow down our throats so stout, but we don’t mind the burn. We will never, ever let it go out.”_

  
There was something special about this moment, about Luffy struggling through a song, sitting cross legged on his bed next to a mound of white fur, while Law sang from his heart, not caring how he sounded and just letting the words flow from his lips as they were meant to. It was raw. It was special. 

  
Feeling as though the next lyrics were particularly fitting, Luffy chimed in for the next part, “ _Open doors and sweat-soaked floors, you’ll find it hard to miss your family when every day, you’re part of one more. Just slow down, baby, take it all in, and I promise you will never be angry again after this.”_

  
Law laughed a sad, broken sound as he pulled himself upright. His golden eyes looked red and tired, his mouth pulled into a tight line despite the humorless chuckle that escaped it. He looked at Luffy, and suddenly he was smiling, as the other teen strummed comfortably, reaching the chords of the song, “ _Kicked out of the liquor store, but we’re not the type of guys to fall asleep on the floor anyway. ‘You wanna join me for dinner?’ ‘Man, I got so much to do,’ but never once did I expect it not to tear me in two.”_

  
Luffy felt a snicker bubbling to his lips, joining in for the last part of the song as Law clapped along with the guitar. They shouted the lyrics, feeling every word and not giving a shit that this was far from their best performance, “ _I’m alright, and I’m always getting better. Let the fire burn high ‘cause we like it that way. We let the ash flow down our throats so stout, but we don’t mind the burn. We will never, ever let it go out.”_

  
The light that had briefly shone in Law’s eyes died as a sad chuckle spilled from his lips. Luffy slowly plucked the end of the song as the lanky teen folded in on himself, hunched over, staring at his hands. 

  
The moment the guitar was removed, hitting the bed sheets once more, Law whispered, “My dad died eight years ago.”

  
Luffy stayed silent, fixing all of his attention on the troubled teen in front of him. Law looked so sad, crushed almost, as if there was an invisible weight hanging above him, grazing his shoulders and pushing him down slowly but surely, not all at once, but gradually. 

  
“He was the frontman for The Ventricles. He went by the stage name Corazon.” 

  
Everyone in Sabaody knew of The Ventricles, a small grunge band from their home town who had skyrocketed to fame in the 90’s following their debut single, _For My Silence_. They had gone on to release three studio albums, touring the world with the likes of Alice in Chains and Nirvana. Ace had been a huge fan of the group in his early, angsty teen years – claiming that he had been born in the wrong decade and missed the real birth of grunge music – and had been absolutely crushed when the news hit that Corazon had passed away. He still had a poster of the group on the wall of his bedroom, the looming figure of Corazon, thin body swimming in overly large flannel, front and center as the man with shaggy blond hair over his eyes leaned into the camera, lipstick smeared across his frowning lips.

  
“He…” Law swallowed, stretching his tattooed fingers over his knees, “He adopted me when I was really little. I don’t remember much, but apparently I was the only survivor of a massive apartment fire. I don’t know how I got out, and how my parents and little sister didn’t. The doctors said I’ve most likely repressed the memories. You know, childhood trauma, and all.”

  
He covered his face with those beautifully inked hands, “My life… Fuck, it was so different back then. Being the kid of a rock star… It was weird. I was never in Sabaody for very long. I mean, we had the house, and we lived there while he was recording, but for the most part, I was on tour with him. He hired this tutor to follow us around and teach me the common curriculum in hotel rooms in cities all over the world. It probably would have been easier to leave me here with someone to look after me, and enroll me in normal public school, but he… He just loved me so much, you know? He never wanted to be far from me.”

  
Luffy nodded, eyes fixed on his friend spilling his guts in front of him. Typically, he got bored when people talked too much. He would feel sleepy, and drift off in the middle of a sentence. It was nothing personal, he usually just couldn’t pay attention. 

  
This was different, though. This was his _Torao_ , and he was hurting.

  
“He taught me everything I know,” Law continued, “When he wasn’t busy with the band, he was with me. He bought me my fist guitar when I was six years old. Why he thought a child of that age could stretch his hand from the first fret to fifth, I’ll never know, but I did try. Piano, bass, a little bit of drums. He made our basement into a little music room, and we spent all our time down there together. He used to say that I took to it like ‘a fish out of water’. I only understood later that he had the saying messed up.”

  
He paused to laugh another humorless chuckle, “You know, everyone thought he was so deep, right? All sad and ironic and clever. Really, I think he was trying to write basic lines and kept getting his words mixed up. He was always a clumsy person – physically, and mentally.”

  
“Then, his brother moved in with us one year that the band was taking a bit of a break,” Law’s eyes narrowed, hands balling into fists, “He showed up on our doorstep one day, claiming that he had been fired from his job, that he had nowhere to go, that he was broke and he needed help. My dad took him in without asking any questions. I was too young to notice it at the time, but I think he was giving him money to help him get back on his feet.”

  
“So, everything was great,” He sighed, “I was receiving a proper education, and over four years I proved to have a special aptitude for music, probably thanks to my dad’s teaching. We would play together every free moment, usually after whatever dinner he had accidentally lit on fire. Those were… those were the days.”

  
“Then one day, The Ventricals were playing this massive show at Sabaody coliseum. It was their first home show in over two years, so it was sold out mere hours after tickets went on sale. Cora didn’t want me to go. He said it would be too hectic, but that I could watch it on TV because they were airing it live,” Law’s voice wavered, his lips trembling, “Can you imagine… 10 years old, sitting on the couch and watching your dad – the man who gave you everything – pouring his heart out on stage… And then suddenly there’s a bang. And you see him jerk and stumble to the floor. And there’s a red liquid starting to ooze around his head. And then the screen goes black just as people start to scream.”

  
Luffy’s body was vibrating in rage. Who could have done such a thing? He vaguely remembered Ace talking about Corazon’s death and the conspiracies around it, but to hear it from Law himself? That must have been horrifying. No child, no, no _person_ should ever have to see their parental figure shot down like that.

  
His brain brought forth the memory of Law, panic stricken as the spotlight shone on him, and Luffy calling him onto the stage. Wow. No wonder he had a fear of playing on a stage in front of strangers. Luffy felt a heavy ball of guilt sink into his stomach. 

  
“Doflamingo – my uncle – came home in a fit of drunken rage, screaming about how his brother was dead,” Law growled, eyes narrowing into yellow slits, “That was the first time he hit me. It became pretty normal after that. I… I tried to leave when I was 15. Penguin told me I could move in with him… But when I told Doffy I was done, he… he threatened to trash the basement, all of my father’s instruments. He knew that would get to me. They’re all I have left of Cora.”

  
“If he doesn’t like you, why doesn’t he let you go?” Luffy asked quietly.

  
“He keeps me around to sign the royalty checks Cora left to me in his will. The rights to the songs are all in my name now,” He sighed, “My uncle lets me keep the occasional one if I’m complaisant for an extended period of time. It’s not like he’s unemployed anymore… He’s clearly doing _something_ illegal on the black market, but he’s always been rather materialistic. If he can steal money from me, he will, you know?”

  
“So… that’s why you didn’t want to come here at first,” Luffy spoke slowly.

  
Law’s eyes widened, “ _SHIT_! The basement! Luffy, I can’t stay here. I have to go home. I can’t let him… I can’t…”

  
Luffy leapt off the bed and onto the mattress next to the shaking teen. He gently wrapped Law’s nervously fiddling fingers up in his own, soothing him in a low voice, “Hey, it’s okay. Torao, it’s okay. I have an idea.”

  
Law leaned into him, resting his forehead on Luffy’s shoulder as he breathed heavily. His hands were ice cold. His whole body was trembling. 

  
“What if you text him and tell him that you’re staying with a friend for a week, and that you promise you’ll be home after that? That way, he doesn’t think his money is getting cut off, _and_ he gets the house to himself,” He offered, squeezing Law’s fingers gently. 

  
“And then what?” Law breathed.

  
“I come with you, and we kick his ass,” Luffy shrugged.

  
Law started to chuckle, rocking his body towards Luffy’s as the rolling sound evolved into a hearty laugh. Luffy laughed, too, just glad that the sound Law was producing sounded genuine. His body was no longer shaking from fear, but from amusement, and when he straightened up, he tore his fingers away from Luffy’s to wipe a single tear from his eye. 

  
There was a certain type of defeat deep in the golden irises as he said, “Alright, Mr. Straw Hat. We’ll kick his ass.”

  
The silence that followed his words was deafening. The room was heavy with emotion – the weight of Law’s story, the relief of the temporary escape, the hope for the future. It was a lot, and Luffy’s heart was pounding extra hard against his chest as he tried to figure out the current emotion that he was feeling himself. It was a certain happiness that always accompanied Law’s presence, but it was a little different than the usual joy he felt around his friends. It was fiercer, with a sharp edge, that made him want to protect Torao, to make sure he was okay, to fight for him. Not that he didn’t want to do the same for his friends! It was just… this had a different flavour, a more intense, desperate need to make the other teen smile. 

  
It was a weird feeling, and what made it even weirder was the pure heat that traveled through his veins like molten lava whenever he looked into those golden eyes for too long, whenever Law let him touch him, unlike anybody else. 

  
“Okay, it’s done,” Law sighed, fiddling with his phone, “And now we wait.”

  
Luffy could feel the nervous anticipation radiating off of the lanky teen. He needed a distraction, and Luffy knew just what to do.

  
“Hey, you don’t have Instagram, do you?”

  
Law shook his head, “Nah, I’m not much of the social media type.”

  
“Okay, but hear me out,” Luffy grinned, “What if we made one for Bepo?”

  
“…You’re joking.”

  
“Oh c’mon! He’s the cutest doggo _ever_ and you know it!” He snickered, “He would be so popular! Think of all the people that would smile when they load their app to see this adorable face!” He grabbed Bepo’s muzzle, shaking it affectionately as the dog lazily thumped his tail against the mattress. 

  
Law hesitated for a moment, his eyes trailing over Bepo and Luffy as he considered the request. Finally, he lifted his phone and snapped a picture, a small smile grazing his lips as he stared down at the result.

  
“Can I see?” Luffy asked eagerly.

  
He shook his head, scooching closer to get a close up of Bepo’s face. His muzzle was slightly parted, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a dopey looking grin. His beady eyes gleamed, and his white fur stood out beautifully against the red duvet cover. After a couple tries, Law decided he was content with the result, turning to sit next to Luffy, shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the wooden frame of the bed. 

  
Luffy showed him how to install the Instagram app and they set up the new profile, naming it “@BepoBear” because of his resemblance to the arctic mammal. They chuckled as they went through the different filter options, and argued over the caption for the first ever post on the page. Law wanted to put something simple, like “This is Bepo,” but Luffy did not think that was flashy enough. He insisted that he had to speak from Bepo’s point of view, recommending, “Hi, I’m Bepo and I love my daddy!”

  
Law gagged, “How about, ‘Hi, I’m Bepo and I constantly fear that existence is futile’.”

  
Luffy leaned into him, nudging him, “Wow, way to scare every one away, geez.”

  
With a sigh, tattooed fingers tapped out the words as Law spoke them, “Hi, I’m Bepo and I love _you_.”

  
There was an ache in Luffy’s chest as Law said the words. It made it hard to breathe. He looked at the other teen, staring at his phone as he posted the photo, his earrings glinting in the light of the screen, his topaz eyes reflecting the image of the Samoyed, and felt a lump growing in his throat. His lips tingled and he couldn’t help but wonder how Torao’s skin would feel underneath them. What would happen if he just leaned over and placed his lips on the smooth skin of Law’s cheek? Would that be weird?

  
“Okay, now what?” Law asked, nudging him just as Luffy had done moments ago. Their arms were pressed against each other, sending searing heat through Luffy’s body. Was the other teen experiencing such a strange reaction from their proximity? 

  
“Um, add my account, @strawhatcaptain, and the rest of the gang!” 

  
“How do I find them?”

  
“Just go to who I follow and I’ll point them out.”

  
Law nodded, scrolling through the list as Luffy murmured who to add. Their faces were so close together. The other teen smelt so nice, like coffee and spice and a hint of earthy musk. It was making his mouth water. 

  
“Oh… Oh cool, is that Miss Nami who just followed me back?”

  
“@catburglarnami? Yeah. And hey! @sogeking is Usopp!”

  
“Hold up… @pingu-in and @sha-chill? Do you follow Penguin and Shachi?”

  
“Y-yeah, Torao’s friends are my friends too,” Luffy babbled, distracted by the way Law’s shirt had been pulled down ever so slightly. He ran his eyes over the inky lines that ran from the other teen’s collarbone, disappearing once more beneath the black fabric. What did the full tattoo look like? How much of Law’s skin did it decorate? Did he have any other tattoos that Luffy couldn’t see?

  
“They like you, you know,” Law muttered as he continued to scroll through the list of names, adding anyone that seemed familiar, “Who’s @santoryu?”

  
“Oh, th-that’s Zoro…” His voice sounded lower, breathier, and a haze began to cloud his thoughts. He wanted more of the heat and scent that Torao was giving off. He wanted to be closer.

  
“What does it… mean…” Law’s words faded on his tongue as he turned his head, realizing just how close Luffy had leaned.

  
Their noses were nearly touching. They could feel each other’s breath brushing against their skin. Eyes were drooping closed, hands were reaching out, unsure of what for. Luffy leaned closer, barely even seeing anything other than the sea of gold beneath Law’s lidded gaze. He was so warm, he smelt so good… What did he taste like?

  
“Luffy…” He whispered, “What… What are we doing?”

  
Luffy blinked and suddenly everything seemed so bright and sharp and his heart was racing and he felt like he was going to explode and oh god, what was he doing?! He jerked backwards, startled and scared and unsure of the unfamiliar sensations in his body. He shakily pulled himself to his feet, needing to do something, needing a distraction. 

  
“Ace! Let’s go see what Ace is up to!” He yelped, ignoring Law’s confused gaze as he rushed out of the bedroom.

  
_What was wrong with him?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW, I'M A JERK.  
> Hang in there, it's coming! The LawLu is the slowest of burns, but I hope it will be worth the wait :) 
> 
> If anyone is curious, the song that Luffy is singing at the beginning is The Future Freaks Me Out, by Motion City Soundtrack.  
> The song they play together is Coals by Modern Baseball and I just really really love that song.


	15. MFEO - Part 2: You Can Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boxing Day sucks for employees of the Sabaody Mall. Usopp and Nami try to make it better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY Y'ALL!  
> THERE IS SMUT IN THE CHAPTER!  
> It is pretty tame and light to keep the M rating, but it is still there.  
> Just a warning!

“ _Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin’?”_

  
“Oh, I’m _fucking listening,_ alright,” Nami growled under breath as she slammed the lid of the blender into place.

“ _In the lane, snow is glistening.”_

  
The blender roared to life as she pressed a button, scowling threateningly at the line of customers in front of her. She narrowed her eyes as a little kid whined that his smoothie was taking too long. 

  
“ _A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, walking in a Winter Wonderland.”_

  
“Winter Wonderland my ass,” Nami continued to rant out of earshot as she poured the contents of the blender into a plastic cup, “I’ll be happy if somebody _fucking killed me_.”

  
She practically shoved the smoothie into the kid’s hands, rolling her eyes at the mother’s glare. Screw them. If they expected good service, they wouldn’t come to the mall on the busiest day of the year. All the staff were in a foul mood, she was sure of it. 

  
The next customer ordered a waffle cone with chocolate frozen yogurt. Easy peasy. At least, until the ungrateful asshole decided to complain that she hadn’t given him enough fro-yo. It took two extra trips to the yogurt machine to satisfy the glutton, and Nami was positively fuming by the time the following person in line placed a long, very specific request for an off-menu seasonal special from last year. Oh, how she absolutely despised the fast food industry.

  
She hadn’t been prepared to see Usopp’s bright smile behind the terrible pixie cut of the horrendous woman who snatched her dessert with a pretentious sniff.

  
“Heya, Nami!” He chimed happily, placing a bag of several bunches of bananas onto the stall’s counter, “Special delivery from the great courier Usopp!”

  
“Thanks,” She muttered, plopping the bag into the fridge and peering past him to wave the next customer forward.

  
Usopp wandered over to the bench at the side of the stall, leaning his elbows on the edge of Nami’s counter and placing his chin in his hands as he watched her work, big smile across his face. He looked at her with such deep admiration, and it made her stomach turn as she spooned frozen yogurt into a blender. She was deep in the weeds, sweaty and clad in her god awful uniform, with a permanent frown on her face, and yet his eyes shone as he watched her zoom around the stall. Was he blind?! 

  
“How was your Christmas?” He asked.

  
“Fuckin’ _over_ , and that’s why they should _stop playing this awful song_!” Her voice rose to a shrill shriek as she started the blender, crafting the current order. 

  
He frowned, “You okay? I’m closing down Wally-World tonight but maybe we can do something aft –”

  
“Shut up, Usopp!” She scowled, orange strands of hair falling into her eyes from beneath her visor, “I don’t have time for you right now!”

  
Flinching at her words, he straightened up, waving his hands in front of him and squeaking a quick, “Yep! Sorry! See you later!”

Turning on his heel, he swiftly disappeared into the sea of Boxing Day shoppers that were yelling at family members and acquaintances across the hall. The mall was absolute chaos.

  
Boxing Day could go die in a hole, for all Nami cared.

  
She continued to power through the lineup at _FroYo-Yo_ , refusing to smile for even the nicest of customers. What were they going to do? Send an angry email to the manager? Jokes on them, it was common knowledge that whoever got scheduled to work Boxing Day got a free pass. Her manager was pretty damn cool.

  
It wasn’t until the clock struck 8pm and the mall was an hour away from closing that there were finally no more people to serve. She was certain she would get one or two more customers before she shut the stall down, but at least she had a moment to breath. A moment to think. A moment to realize that she had snapped at Usopp for bringing her the bananas she had texted him to pick up on his way into work, and for trying to cheer her up.

  
Ugh, she owed him an apology. 

  
Things were… weird between them lately. Sometimes the weird scale tilted towards ‘weird good’, before falling back to ‘weird’ and it certainly never fell to ‘weird bad’, but it was most definitely different. Nami wasn’t dumb. She knew that everything had changed when she had asked him that stupid question and he had answered her so honestly. Why had she done that? Why had she opened up that can of worms like she was ready to go fishing?

  
Was she ready to go fishing?

  
She wasn’t sure how she felt about Usopp yet, still a mess of confusion regarding her best friend. There were times that she looked at him, and just saw her dorky buddy with the crazy hair and the long nose and the surprisingly fashionable collection of overalls. Though, there were other times when she looked at him, and saw _him_ , the handsome teen with the dark, expressive eyes and mane of sexy curls and dextrous fingers that could make a work of art out of anything he touched. When she saw him like that, she thought for sure that maybe… maybe there was something there. When she saw him like that, she felt her core tighten and her heart strain and sometimes she had the unbelievable urge to just straddle him in the middle of the cafeteria and… and…

  
She thought about him at night, often. 

  
When her fingers ran over her curves, exploring her body, getting to know herself. When she moaned beneath her touch, sometimes she felt that his name was right there, on the tip of her tongue. The same tongue that she considered running over his jaw and down his neck, hoping to feel his pulse as her teeth grazed his sensitive skin. She wondered what he would sound like, what he would do if she presented herself to him. Would he look her in the eyes? Would he whisper that she was beautiful as his skilled hands molded her into a new sort of masterpiece?

  
She shivered as she wiped down the counter of the stall, fully aware of the sensations tickling her skin and making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand straight. She reminded herself that she was still as work, that a customer could approach at any moment. Then, she checked the clock, realized it was already 8:30pm, and decided to take the risk and close up shop. 

  
Quickly mixing up Usopp’s usual Funky Monkey smoothie, she began to empty out the ice wells and lock up the fridges.   
Perhaps she really did care for Usopp more than a friend. At the very least, she was certainly attracted to him. Though, did that mean she was ready for a relationship? When she thought of _that_ side of things, she wasn’t so sure. She quite liked their friendship, the easy way that they communicated, the lack of obligation to spend time together and hanging out simply because they wanted to. If she told him that she reciprocated his feelings, would everything change? Would they have to be together all the time and keep each other updated on their whereabouts 24/7? Would she have to get jealous if some other girl was flirting with him, instead of laughing about it with him after? Would the fun, easy going nature of their friendship disappear to be replaced with expectations and rules?

  
She didn’t want that.  
She had been in a ‘relationship’ once before, with a boy named Kaku (yes, the same one from Cipher Pol 9, though her friends were polite enough not to _ever_ bring it up) when she was in 11th grade and he was in 12th. He was the handsome captain of the swim team, and she was, well, a member of said swim team. He had asked her out and, as she had been crushing on him for a while, she leapt at the opportunity.

  
Vivi had never been his biggest fan. She claimed he was manipulative, controlling, insecure, and in hindsight, she had been right. He hadn’t liked when Nami hung out with her friends unless Robin or Vivi were there as well. He had needed her to check in with him first if she wanted to do anything in her free time. He had refused to let her sit at her usual lunch table, instead dragging her to sit with Lucci, Kalifa, and Bleuno, and he had always been quick to tell her what she should like _instead_ of anything she was already interested in. At one point, he even asked her to quit the swim team so no one would ogle her in her suit, which was truly ridiculous. The ugly yellow one pieces were _not_ flattering.

  
She had found herself becoming rather alienated, not quite fitting in with his friends, and yet not _allowed_ to spend much time with her friends. She found herself longing for freedom, to be herself and live how she wanted to live. 

  
Eventually, with Vivi’s help, she had broken it off after 5 months together, which was much longer than she would have liked. It had only lasted that long because the sex had been good.

  
What? She was only human, and the introduction to such a pleasurable experience had been very enjoyable for the fiery red head. Kaku had been respectful and had never pressured her, opposite from the way most of the stories of girls that age went, unfortunately. No, Nami had been very familiar with the concept of sexuality from a rather young age, having grown up in a liberal household where her mother and sister wanted her to be well-informed and prepared for anything. She had been on contraceptive pills ever since her first period (mostly to prevent cramps so bad she considered carving her uterus out herself) and had always been open with her family regarding any questions or concerns about intercourse.

  
So, she liked sex. Sue her. 

  
Never having liked anyone enough after Kaku, she hadn’t been with another person. She wondered what it would be like with Usopp. Would it be much different? Would their friendship make a difference in a purely physical act? When he said he liked her, did he think of her the way she thought of him?

  
Sighing, she sealed the plastic cup that contained Usopp’s smoothie, locked the till in the cash register, grabbed her bag, threw on her long beige jacket, and stepped around the stand to pull the shutters around the exterior. Once she was certain that all of her closing duties were done, she slowly made her way down the quiet, linoleum hallways towards the Wal-Mart at one of the various exit points.

  
The stupid Christmas decorations were still up, the atrocious Christmas music still playing overhead. It wasn’t that she had beef with Christmas, she just firmly believed that once the day passed, there should be no further mention of the holiday until the following year. She didn’t approve of the weird week of limbo before New Year’s, where no one knew what day it was and the entire city ate and drank themselves into a seasonal coma. It was unproductive. She would go back to school on Boxing Day if she could, and then she would use the extra week off to start her summer early. 

  
Stepping around a stray gold bulb that had tumbled from a decorative tree, she adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and removed her disgusting banana visor. She shoved it deep into the depths of her canvas bag in hopes it would never see the light of day again, though knowing she would have to where it again tomorrow, as she had picked up Rebecca’s shift.

  
The holiday stretch was stressful and miserable for mall employees, but hey, she liked money. 

  
She chose to walk through the cosmetics aisle of Wal-Mart on her way to Usopp’s station, admiring the various eye shadow palettes and lipsticks that lined the shelves. Nami was never one to wear a lot of make-up, though she did like to doll herself up on occasion. She was already thinking of what look she was going to do for the Battle of the Bands, since it was probably going to be the next show the Straw Hats play, considering her efforts to book them out of town had proved fruitless. 

  
As the giant LCD TVs and speaker systems of the Electronics aisle loomed into view, Nami found her palms getting rather sweaty, despite the cold beverage she held in her hand. Her thoughts wandering towards the dark recesses of her mind at the sight of his dark curls, tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck, she took a deep breath in and tried to focus on friendly conversation. She could manage that, right?

  
“Hey, ya dork,” She chirped, waving as she approached his counter, “I’m surprised the place isn’t completely ransacked.”

  
He startled at her words, raising an eyebrow and nervously fiddling with the keys for the cash register, “Oh hey, yeah, it was busy, but manageable.” He darted his eyes away from her, turning to mess with a stack of papers under the counter. She could tell he was purposefully looking for things to do.

  
Nami frowned, tasting the awkwardness in the air. She slid the smoothie over to him, “Hey, I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. I was busy, but I could have at least been nice about it.”

  
Usopp blinked, eyes brightening at the sight of his favourite beverage. Immediately, the air adjusted to relaxed contention, with maybe just a hint of the tension that had been lingering every since she had asked him if he liked her. He fixed her with a charming smile and shrugged, “Apology excepted, but honestly? I have eyes. I probably should have noticed that it was not an appropriate time to chat.”

  
She grinned, leaning on the counter as he closed up the aisle, “The Great Master of Observation, Usopp, has let me down.”

  
“Pfft,” He scoffed, “This is all just part of the Great Planner’s, also known as Usopp, grand plan.”

  
Nami reached out to tug on a loose lock of hair that fell in a perfect wave over his forehead as he leaned across from her, “You’re a loser.”

  
“Maybe,” He replied, backing away with a wink, “But you like it…?” The statement trailed off as a question, and the wave of guilt crashed over her. 

  
He nodded towards the front doors of the store, and she knew by now that it meant to wait for him there while he checked out with his manager. She wandered over to the entrance, mentally kicking herself for putting him in such an uncomfortable position. He had admitted, under her own prompting, that he had feelings for her, and she had yet to tell him whether she did or whether she didn’t reciprocate. She had, however, managed to drag him onto the dancefloor at their Christmas party, planting kisses on his neck in front of everybody like she wasn’t able to control herself and her desires. How embarrassing. And talk about mixed signals! 

  
But… If she told him that she liked him, and he wanted a relationship, then that would mean the end of their friendship, right?

  
If Vivi were aware of the whole situation, she would slap some sense into her. She simply didn’t feel comfortable talking to their mutual friends about what was going on between them.

  
“You ready?” Usopp asked, tossing his car keys in the air as he approached, bundled up in his olive green winter coat. 

  
They walked side by side to the Civic, Usopp sipping loudly through the plastic straw. It was a clear night, which was nice. They had been getting so much snow lately, a break was needed. The air was still biting and the breeze made Nami’s teeth chatter, but at least she didn’t have to blink precipitation out of her eyelashes every second.

  
“So? How was the rest of your shift? Tell me about it,” Her friend started as they buckled their seatbelts. He turned the key in the ignition and put the car in reverse, backing out of his spot right outside of Wal-Mart’s doors. 

  
“Let’s see… People sucked, the stupid Christmas music wouldn’t shut up, I spilled chocolate sauce on my shirt, and… OH! I didn’t pay you back for the bananas!” She gasped, dragging a manicured hand over her face.

  
He shrugged, “It’s no big deal. We’re both in tomorrow, right? I’ll drop by the stand at some point to get that sweet reimbursement.” Chuckling, he added, “If it was your money, I wouldn’t expect a single nickel in return, but it’s the stall’s so… PAY ME, BITCH!”

  
Nami giggled, fully aware that it was a simple joke. She plugged the auxiliary cord into her phone and scrolling through the music on her phone. What was she in the mood for? It was dark out and the streets were quiet. Everything was cold and frigid, save for the warm air pumping through the car, and the familiar heat coursing through her body as she snuck a glance at Usopp’s focused profile while watching the road. She bit her lip. He drove with such confidence. She felt safe with him. 

  
She wondered if he would look so serious, so intensely at her as she kissed those wondrous hands, slipping the digits into her mouth and…

  
She put her phone on shuffle, letting it decide for her. She couldn’t focus on what she wanted to listen to right now.

  
“Any Wal-Mart crazies today?” She asked leaning her head against the window, eyes fixed on the shadows of the snow covered trees as they turned onto the long country road leading to her home. 

  
“Do fish breathe underwater?” He snorted, “Of course. One lady tried to use a coupon that expired 15 years ago and her demon brat of a son, I shit you not, threatened to piss all over the PS4s so that they were ‘his’.”

  
Nami laughed, “And what did you do?”

  
“Me? Paged the manager and got the fuck out of there. Bye! Have fun! It’s lunch time!” Usopp waved dramatically at the windshield, “I don’t get paid enough for that.”

  
“Preach,” She snapped her fingers.

  
The rest of the ride was quiet. Just the whoosh of the heater and the rumble of the engine as the car drove over the bumps in the dirt road. The headlights illuminated the street ahead of them, cutting through the inky darkness surrounding them, reflecting off the snowbanks to the side and making them sparkle. The world felt still, peaceful, as if absolutely everybody on the planet had already gone to sleep.

  
It was a nice juxtaposition to the way her stomach turned and her heart raced, the way her palms twisted the fabric of her ugly polyester work pants, just eager to _do_ something. Her mouth was dry, and she felt entirely too warm in her jacket. She turned her head slightly, angling it so she could press her burning cheek against the cold window pane, shocking her system as she tried to steady her breathing.

  
The whole car smelt like paint and charcoal and oil and all the things that she had grown to associate with Usopp. Creative, talented, brilliant Usopp.

  
There was this tension in the air.

  
Did he feel it too?

  
As he pulled reached her long, winding driveway, her hand darted out to grab his wrist before he could turn. 

  
“Keep going,” She whispered, “Let’s just… drive.”

***

Usopp’s skin burned where she had touched him.

  
He nodded, something in the tense atmosphere of the car telling him to go along with it, that there was something different about this drive home. 

  
Continuing down the straight road ahead of him, feeling the hum of the vehicle beneath him, he shot a glance at Nami to see that she was adjusting the music on her phone. Moments later, they were engulfed by a drumbeat that seemed to represent the anxious beating of their hearts, fluttering against their ribcages like trapped birds. Launching into a dreamy synth-driven intro accented by a smooth male voice, Usopp felt as though the whole setting had turned into a music video. There was something so perfect about the dark shadows, the gleam of the headlights, and the interior of the car that seemed entirely too hot for where he had set the heat, cutting through the silence of their surroundings in nervous anticipation. 

  
“Who’s this?” He murmured, afraid that if he spoke too loud, he would break the spell that had seemed to capture them both.

  
“Said the Whale,” She spoke just as quietly, “It’s their album _As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide._ There’s something about driving in the dark that always calls for it.”

  
He hummed, and they fell back into an awkward silence. He could feel her eyes watching him, sending bolts of lightning through his veins, sparking an excitement to his core. 

  
Was this what he thought it was?

  
Was she going to tell him that she liked him, too?

  
Usopp was very content with his life. Despite his mother being less than healthy, she was also far from deathly ill, and he thanked whatever deities did, or did not exist, everyday for keeping her stable. Her condition allowed her normal cognitive function, though she was physically unable to work, or stand for long periods of time. She spent most of her time in bed, much to Usopp’s relief, while he took care of their meals and errands. He was grateful that she had Merry, their toy poodle, to keep her company while her son was running around trying to make sure everything was taken care of. 

  
Not to brag, but he was also extremely smart, and proficient in the visual arts, having been accepted into GLI’s Design Magnet course that would appear on his high school diploma. He knew it would look real good when he went to apply to Sabaody University for Graphic Design, and he had very few doubts that his application wouldn’t be accepted.

  
On top of that, he was a hell of a sound technician, and he had the best friends in the entire world. 

  
If it wasn’t for his meddlesome anxiety disorder that made him overthink and panic about _everything_ , then he’d be absolutely killing it at life right now.

  
Not that he wasn’t, it’s just, he _thought_ he wasn’t, you know? He could be better, he could try harder, he could procrastinate less, he could work out to look more like Zoro, he could eat healthier, and the list went on and on.

  
He _should_ have called the pharmacy the other day, to ensure his refills were ready.

  
He _shouldn’t_ have said that terrible joke that offended poor Chopper and had Luffy rolling on the floor laughing. He hoped Chopper didn’t hate him.

  
He _shouldn’t_ have told Nami he liked her. 

  
Something had changed between them in the last couple weeks, something big. She was no longer as relaxed around him, and he found himself constantly wondering if he had messed everything up. He had, hadn’t he? Would they ever be able to go back to being carefree best friends? Was he misreading her advances? Had he imagined her kissing his neck while they danced on Christmas Eve, or had that really happened?

  
So, yes, Usopp was quite content with his life, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t constantly worry about how it could be better, and how his actions had most likely prevented that.

  
Oh my god, even his thoughts were annoying. Just, stop worrying for once and _pay attention,_ you idiot.

  
Nami was staring out the window again, long ginger hair cascading over her shoulder. The darkness surrounding them dulled the strands, the glow from the headlights highlighting only the locks that framed her face. They shone a bright orange in the shadows, as if her hair was made of solidified flames. 

  
The freckles that dotted her nose and cheeks were barely perceivable, though Usopp could still make them out. He knew their placements by heart. He had speckled pages in his sketchbook more times than he could count, after all.

  
There was a fork in the road. Following his gut, he gripped the leather of the steering wheel and guided the car to the left, unsure of what would meet them at the end of the dirt path.

  
The wheels rolled over mounds of dirt and valleys of pebbles, the interior of the vehicle bouncing down the uneven country street. Nami’s lips were twisted into a dreamy smile as the trees lining the side of the road began to loom closer, the path growing narrow. 

  
An upbeat song was thumping from the speakers. It sang of love and companionship, of following each other no matter where they go, of being the comfort in their company. Usopp considered that it was a rather nice song, simple and honest, and… nice. 

  
He thought that Nami must have felt the same way, as she turned her head away from the window to fix her big, brown doe eyes on him. Her gaze was heavy, heated in such a way that made Usopp’s skin feel entirely too tight all of a sudden. He had never seen her look at him like this before.

  
The road opened up to a little parking lot in front of a gate to a hiking trail. There were 3 spaces nestled against the thick forestry of bushes and trees. 

  
Pulling into the furthest space, nearly touching the trunk of the closest snow-capped pine tree, Usopp put the car into park, though made sure the music and the heat was still running. He lifted his hand to press the lights built into the ceiling, to shed some light on whatever conversation they were about to have, but Nami stopped him, dainty fingers wrapping around his wrist. 

  
It was so dark. The moon was covered by a thick canopy of clouds, the stars nowhere to be seen. Though the headlights illuminated the forest in front of them, the vegetation swallowed the light as if it were the sun’s nourishing rays. 

  
He could feel Nami watching him.

  
Something was different. 

  
“So, um,” Usopp sputtered, “How did your exams go?”

  
She blinked slowly, her teeth shining as her lips parted in a grin.

  
“You’re a loser,” She whispered, echoing herself from earlier, “But I like it.”

  
The upbeat song faded away to be replaced with a piano accompanied by a crooning voice. 

  
“ _Lay me down, see if my conscious complies. It’s all in the eyes, it’s all in a kiss, I never realized this.”_

  
Nami was leaning towards him, her seat belt undone, beautiful brown eyes curious and searching for something as she stared into his soul. He was being drawn towards her, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. He thought his heart would give out at any moment. What if his lips were chapped and rough? What if he still tasted like the stale coffee he had drank on his break? What if… what if he just didn’t know how to kiss? 

  
This was the moment he had been dreaming of for two whole years, since the moment Luffy’s friend Sanji had introduced them to Nami and Vivi, and the stunning red-head had smiled at him. 

  
He had known then that she was the one for him. They could call him crazy, remind him that he was a teenager, that he didn’t know what love is – he didn’t care. From that moment on, he had thought only of her.

  
And now, here she was. In his car. His best friend, the girl who had stolen his heart, and she was peering at him through her eyelashes, her lips parted ever so slightly.

  
She was so close, and yet he had met her halfway. Their lips were an inch apart as they leaned over the middle console of the car, their eyes gazing at each other in a way that said everything they couldn’t bring themselves to say. 

  
“Nami,” He breathed, “I…”

  
His words died on his tongue as she gently pushed her lips against his. 

  
Usopp thought his heart was going to explode from the searing joy that burst forth in his chest. It was as if Nami held the key that had unlocked some chest hidden away deep inside his body, that filled him with instinct, a understanding of what he was supposed to do. 

  
He tentatively placed a hand on the back of her head, revelling in the warmth radiating from her skin as he slid his fingers into her unbelievably silky hair. He pressed into her lips eagerly, fitting perfectly, like two puzzle pieces, and he felt her smile beneath his touch.

  
She carefully pushed him away, and he immediately jerked back, worried that he had done something wrong. She giggled at the panic that flashed across his face, easing his anxious heart immediately.

  
In a surprising graceful display, as if it hadn’t been the first time she had considered this course of action, she slid over the console and into his lap, sandwiching herself between the steering wheel and his torso as she straddled his thighs.

  
Usopp was pretty sure he blacked out for a couple of seconds, before frantically reaching down and pulling the lever that allowed him to slide the seat backwards, giving her more space. He could no longer here the music over the sound of his atrociously loud heartbeat. Could she hear it too?

  
Cupping his face in her hands, she brought her lips to his once more. One of her thumbs stroked the light scruff that had begun to grow on his chin, while her other hand crept back to the nape of his neck. Tilting his head ever so carefully, she kissed him with more urgency, and Usopp thought that he had died and gone to heaven when he felt the tip of her tongue nudge at his bottom lip. 

  
He let her in, moving his mouth along with her movements. His tongue swept against hers, mimicking her movements, savouring the taste of matcha and tangerines and frozen yogurt. She was so skilled, so patient as he clumsily followed along with her, her hands beginning to wander. She fisted the thick waterproof fabric of his winter jacket, and Usopp became very aware of two things.

  
For one, they needed to get these coats off, and stat.

  
A secondly, what was he doing with his hands?!

  
He had been so focused on trying to kiss her as well as she was kissing him that he hadn’t even noticed his hands resting on her upper thighs, positioned on either side of his. He must have blushed a violent shade of vermillion, as Nami paused her exploration of his mouth to pull back and laugh affectionately. 

  
She began to wiggle out of her jacket, whispering, “Relax, I want this.”

  
He nodded nervously, shaking hands reaching for the tab at the top of his coat’s zipper, missing it once, twice, three times before he was effectively able to open it. 

  
She stopped him before he unbuckled his seatbelt, a delicate hand on his heart and her eyes staring at him in earnest. “Usopp,” She spoke quietly, yet the serious tone of her voice was clear, “Have you done this before?”

  
“U-um,” He squeaked, frozen beneath her breathtaking stare, “Y-yes, I’ve slept with hundreds of women. 800 to be precise.”

  
“Usopp,” She rolled her eyes. He didn’t blame her. It wasn’t his best work.

  
He shook his head, terrified that this moment would end and she wouldn’t kiss him again.

  
“Do you want to have sex with me?” 

  
How she managed to make such a bunt statement sexy, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was her lustful gaze as she stared down at him from her position on his lap, or the way she bit her lip before she breathed the words. 

  
It most certainly wasn’t the ugly strawberry uniform with a chocolate sauce stain on it, and he wasn’t sure why she would ever dream of asking him that question while he was in his equally lame Wal-Mart polo. Regardless, she had never looked more beautiful than in that moment, with her hair over her shoulders and her dilated pupils watching him, wanting him. 

  
“You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted, Nami.”

  
She kissed him, her hand still on his chest, “Is that a yes?”

  
“Yes,” He responded before she had even finished asking the question. 

  
It was him who grabbed her face this time, reattaching their lips as she twined the fabric of his work shirt around her fingers. The more they kissed, the more comfortable Usopp began to feel, moving along with her flow, paying attention to her reactions. He had to be doing something right when he broke away to brush her hair away and kiss the skin beneath her ear, as the sound she made turned his insides to jelly. 

  
Eager to hear her moan once more, he continued placing his lips along her neck, his hands on her waist and palming the scratchy fabric of that stupid strawberry shirt. 

  
Nami was far bolder. She knew what she wanted, and Usopp was happy to let her take the lead. She gently tugged on his wrists, guiding his hands to her bottom, and he forgot how to breath for a moment as he felt her plump backside through her jeans. 

  
He pulled her closer to him, her upper body curving against his chest as she tugged the elastic band from his hair, letting his dark curls fall to his shoulders. She was quick to bury her hands in the deep brown tresses, sighing with satisfaction as if she had been wanting to do that for some time. 

  
The windows had fogged over from the heated interior of the car, and the only light they had was the soft glow of the headlights through a misted windshield, and the pale neon leaking from the dashboard. The shadows hugged their bodies as he let his hands travel upwards, sliding under her uniform, eager fingers brushing her velvety skin. They could no longer make out the trees that surrounded them. It was as if they were in their own little world. And, they were, weren’t they? 

  
It was just Nami and Usopp, and the middle of nowhere.

  
She shivered at his touch, her thighs tightening around his legs as she exhaled slowly. She untangled both hands from his hair, staring at him with a blazing curiosity that complimented the tender affection of her touch. Lowering one hand, she tugged on the lever at the side of the chair, pushing the seat just behind his shoulder, lowering the back of the chair as far as it would go. 

  
Usopp thought his heart would give out. There he was, in a position that had him nearly parallel to the ground, with his dream girl grinding against him, straddling his hips and – _oh god, she was taking her shirt off._

  
It was that moment that he wished he could turn a light on, to illuminate her beautiful body and truly appreciate the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips. She reached behind her to unclasp her bra, and then her torso was fully exposed to the stale air of the car. 

  
He considered that he may have been asleep this entire time. This couldn’t possibly be happening. This had to be a dream, right?  
Because Nami sat on his lap, her hair glowing in the dim light of their surroundings, cascading down her back like a rippling stream weaving its way through countless pebbles – a perfect mess of natural waves. Her cheeks were flushed a bright pink, and her lips were moist and plump. Her eyes gazed down at him with unbridled excitement as she arched her back, letting the shadows lick at her ample breasts, the hollow of her belly button, the various freckles that dotted her shoulders and forearms. 

  
Usopp took back what he had said before. She had never looked more beautiful than _this_ moment. 

  
“Nami, you…” His throat was so dry, “You are… just, wow.”

  
“You’re staring,” She murmured, biting her lip as she looked away.

  
“I want to remember this, so I… um…” Whoops, he hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

  
That piqued her interest, and she leaned in to kiss him, rolling her hips against him in the process. “So you, what?” She grinned into his lips.

  
Well, the cat was out of the bag, wasn’t it? In hopes that she would find it charming, he breathed, “So I can draw you later.”

  
Her eyes widened, and a surprised squeak escaped her mouth.

  
It must have been endearing, since she tugged at his shirt with a desperate fervor. Not wanting to keep her waiting, he discarded the fabric as quickly as possible. 

  
Pale fingertips traced over dark skin in the comfort of their makeshift room, the music swelling with their actions as Nami fixed her lips to his collarbone, reaching her other hand out to guide his fingers to her chest. The scent of tangerines and vanilla was overwhelming as her lips moved up to his neck, her hair brushing against his jaw as she licked his earlobe. 

  
And then, she was undoing her pants, shimmying out of them and making soft sounds as he explored the upper half of her body, slowly and carefully. He wasn’t too proud to admit he was dazed and perhaps slightly overwhelmed. It was his first time, and it was nothing, _nothing_ like he had imagined. It was a thousand times better.

  
The sensations, the emotions, the way she looked at him like he was the only thing that mattered.

  
How was it fair that she was doing all the work?

  
Summoning all the strength he could manage in his current, heavily distracted state, he wrapped one arm tightly around her waist. Using his other elbow to hoist himself up, he flipped their positions, laying her down on the driver’s seat. 

  
Her hair laid splayed out beneath her, glinting a pretty copper in the dim light. She tilted her head and arched her back, his name a whisper on her lips as he moved his exploration south, trying desperately to remember the tips Zoro and Sanji had given him, from ‘their experiences with girls from camp that Usopp definitely didn’t know.’

  
She helped him with the condom, her fingers deft and gentle, and he held her close as he pushed into her for the first time. She laughed at the face he made, and he was too overwhelmed with adoration to be embarrassed, so he just leaned in and kissed her instead. He knew she liked it when he made silly faces. 

  
The intimacy that they felt in that moment was so much more than simple sex, and Usopp truly believed that their friendship had made it beyond amazing – not that he had anything to compare it to, but he was inclined to trust Nami’s sighs and moans and the way she said his name as they moved together in perfect synchronization. His eyes never left her face, for he was too captivated by every twitch of a muscle, every loose strand of hair that fell across her forehead. He loved the way her eyes slid closed as his hips rocked against her, the way she smiled as he breathed her name over and over again. 

  
He told her she was beautiful, but that word was no longer enough. 

  
They wound themselves into an awkward embrace afterwards, lying on their sides in the driver’s seat, one of her legs in between his and the other swung over his hips. She curled her head into his chest, her arms wrapped around him, and he rested his chin among the fruity scent of her hair, fingers tracing spirals up and down her back.

  
“Belle-Mere’s gonna kill me,” Nami whispered after a while.

  
“What’s our excuse gonna be?” He murmured.

  
She giggled, “You were getting reamed out by the manager, so I had to wait extra long for you to drive me home?”

  
He snorted incredulously, “Um, management loves me. Try again.”

  
She thought for a moment before offering, “Boxing-Day-deal-fanatics trashed the electronics aisle and I had to help you with clean up?”

  
“That is believable.”

  
“Yeah, I was genuinely shocked there wasn’t a single broken TV when I showed up.”

  
“Okay, throw in that you had a few last minute customers at the stand and closing took longer than usual,” He added.

  
The ride back to Nami’s was quiet, and Usopp found himself dreading the moment she would open the door and let the cold air in. The car carried her scent, yet one that was uniquely theirs, and a part of him didn’t want to let it go. He considered that he would never be able to see the Civic as just a vehicle anymore. Now, it was so much more.

  
She put on some soft pop music and stared out the window, just as she had on the way to that special spot where she had given herself to him, yet this time, she held his hand on the middle console whenever he didn’t need both hands on the wheel, her thumb brushing over his knuckles.

  
“You know, this day is usually a steaming pile of hot trash for anybody working in the mall,” She smiled as he pulled into her driveway, “But you made it pretty okay.”

  
Nami said goodnight with a simple kiss on the cheek, and then slipped out of the car, letting in the harsh winter air before she scurried to her front door.

  
He waited until she was safely inside her house before he commenced his drive down the country roads towards the core of Sabaody. He had a hell of a lot of sketching to do when he got home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends the holiday dump! Hope you all enjoyed :)
> 
> As always, follow me on [tumblr.](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com/) for One Piece content. Although, I may start posting little blurbs as sneak peaks for next week... Hmmm, we shall see.  
> Your comments make my day <3
> 
> Next week: Sanji has to work on New Year's Eve
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> See you next Sunday!


	16. Scattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji gets a New Year's Eve surprise at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday! 
> 
> I chose the song Scattered by Green Day to summarize this chapter. I particularly like the line "Now it seems I've forgotten my purpose in this life" for Sanji wondering what his priorities are :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“How long on the lobster tails for table 30?!”

  
“I need an escargot on the fly! Late joiner ordered an appetizer.”

  
“Check shrimp skewers! Only 10 left… Someone get the kid to prep more!”

  
Sanji heard the shouts from the line, inferring that he was the _kid_ they spoke of. Stepping briskly from his prep station behind the main strip of the kitchen, he tugged open the heavy door to the fridge containing their proteins. Fetching the thawed tiger shrimps from the seafood cart, he ran the cold water into the sink as he carefully deveined the crustaceans, impaling the grey flesh on a metal rod once they were clean.

  
“Oi! Eggplant! We need shrimp skewers!” Zeff called, poking his head around the corner, his comically tall chef’s hat swaying with the movement 

  
Sanji shot him the finger, “I have ears, you shitty geezer!”

  
His father simply cackled in response, turning back to the line to shout an obscenity at the grill cook.

  
Rolling his eyes, Sanji let himself chuckle. Kitchens were wild, lawless territories where the gentlest people became absolute monsters in a perfect storm of heightened expectations, ticking timers, blazing stovetops, and a cocktail of internal and external pressure. It was normal to hear curse words being dropped every few seconds, and Sanji had the absolute delight of witnessing the serving staff scurry away from the scowls and grunts of the cooks, fear in their eyes when they had to approach them to ask for extra sauce for their customers. 

  
It wasn’t that cooks were assholes. Sanji just liked to think that most cooks, especially the ones that worked at _The Baratie_ , were _passionate_. They poured their hearts and souls into every dish, making sure that it was made exactly to order, and presented in an appetizing and visually appealing manner, and perhaps that passion made them quick to bite back when the poor servers had to deliver the message that the customer didn’t like something about the dish. It was hard to not be personally offended, when you put so much of yourself into each edible display.

  
That was one of the things Sanji loved most about cooking. The passion, the heart, the love.

  
Even as he was preparing the raw shrimp skewers, his hands delicately handling the seafood so that not a single piece of flesh would be wasted, he was putting a part of himself into the work. He wanted to give the line cooks his best, who would in turn give the customers theirs. He took pride in his cooking, and he felt that his ability to directly impact people’s happiness with a good meal helped him find some sort of purpose in this life. 

  
Not to mention that he felt he would be making his late mother proud by becoming an esteemed chef one day. His beef wellington this year absolutely murdered the one from last year. Adding a dry white wine to the mushrooms had made a huge difference. 

  
His holidays had been nice, despite the raging hangover he had felt Christmas morning as he waited for the bus to take him home from the jam space. The stupid marimo had woken him up at 7am with a harsh poke in the ribs, grumbling that he had to get home before Kuina finished wrapping Koushiro’s present. Something about how he had to be there to add his name on the tag. Sanji hadn’t been impressed. It wasn’t his problem that he had forgotten to get his father a gift. 

  
Regardless, he had pulled his sorry ass off the couch, and had endured an uncomfortably silent bus ride home. The memories of the night before, with the shitty drummer calling him out on his stupid crush on Luffy’s dumbass brother had rendered him quiet and nervous around the marimo. Of course, he knew that his friends wouldn’t judge him, that they would love him just how he was. At least, that was what the logical, rational side of his brain told him. 

  
That didn’t stop the pessimistic whispers in the back of his mind.

  
Zeff had prepared some freshly baked scones using his mother’s recipe, just as they did every year. They then spent the rest of the morning preparing a spring pea risotto with mint oil and braised lamb chops. It gave Sanji an opportunity to showcase his oil making skills that the sous chef at _The Baratie_ , Patty, had taught him on a slow day. Zeff had been pleasantly surprised by the clarity of the result, as well as its bright green hue. 

  
They had put on the old classic _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ movie, and commented on all the problematic parts that hadn’t aged well as they ate their masterpiece. They had quoted along with their favourite line (“Mrs. Donner wanted to go too, but Donner said, ‘NO!’” – classic), mouths full of food, and discussed that just because it was a tradition, they really shouldn’t continue watching a film so disrespectful to women and minorities each year. They had decided they’d go with something different next year. They had figured that Sanji’s mother would like it better that way, even if she was the one who had started the _Rudolph_ routine. She would understand.

  
Once the shrimp skewers had been brought to the line, Sanji busied himself with slicing the vegetables for garnish for tomorrow’s service. It was already 11pm and the shift had flown by – with it being New Year’s Eve and all – so the chefs wouldn’t be requiring any additional product tonight now that the rush was over. 

  
“Oi, eggplant! We need hands for table 24! Come lend us a hand!” Zeff called from the window.

  
Sanji sighed, grumbling about the servers’ reluctance to run food to their tables, that are tipping _them_ , as he undid his apron and washed his hands. He was a relatively tidy person in the kitchen, so his white uniform was usually clean and free of stains, making him one of the few Back of House staff members who could deliver food to tables. 

  
Zeff also liked to add that he needed to show off his ‘handsome son’ at every chance possible. 

  
Approaching the pass where the plates sat in the heated window, Sanji narrowed his eyes. Table 24 was a private room for smaller groups, nestled in a corner and out of the way of prying eyes. It made sense that there were 11 plates in the window, and the young cook quietly cursed the people who were lame enough to camp out in a restaurant all night to ring in the New Year. 

  
Following Zeff and two other servers out of the kitchen and through the surprisingly busy dining room (seriously, New Year’s Eve is the worst), Sanji kept his eyes fixed on the plates of food balanced in his hands, peering up only when he turned into the room and – 

  
“SURPRISE!”

  
“Oh, fuck off,” Sanji scowled, though he quickly replaced it with a smile. 

  
The large horseshoe booth that lined the private room was filled with Chopper, Luffy, Law, Usopp, Nami, Vivi, Robin, and Zoro, with Franky and Brook in chairs on the other side of the table. They all grinned up at him, as if he was some sort of guest of honour and not the person delivering their food.

  
“You’re all assholes for coming to torment me on one of the busiest days of the year,” Sanji rolled his eyes, before blinking and swiftly adding, “Of course, except for our dearest Nami, sweet Robin, and stunning Vivi, that is.”

  
He frowned as he counted the number of people at the table, turning to Zeff and muttering, “I have seats 10 and 11, but there’s only 10 people here…”

  
Zeff chuckled as the other servers dropped their meals down and exited the room. He gestured to the empty sweet next to Brook and Chopper, “It’s your meal, eggplant.”

  
“Sanji’s joining us for dinner!” Luffy cheered, pumping his fists into the air. Law looked entirely unimpressed with his enthusiasm, sighing dramatically as one of his fists just nearly missed the other teen’s face.

  
“Huh?” Sanji blinked, glaring up at Zeff as the older man shoved him into the empty chair.

  
“You’ve worked hard enough for the night, kiddo. Ring in the New Year with your friends,” He clapped a hand on his shoulder, prompting Sanji to grin at the group surrounding him. 

  
“Yow! Zeff, bro, can we get a bottle of champagne, and a bottle of sparkling apple juice?” Franky asked, winking along with his words.

  
Zeff nodded knowingly before disappearing back into the busy dining room.

  
“Oi, what gives?” Sanji protested as Brook clapped a hand on his back.

  
“You deserve to spend New Year’s Eve with us, Sanji,” His darling Nami smiled, her teeth glinting in the light of the crystal chandelier that hung above the table. She cut into her filet mignon, and Sanji was happy to see that it was cooked to a perfect medium rare.

  
Looking down at the plate placed before him, he smiled at his father’s choice of black bass and seasoned rice with fresh vegetables. He should have known that Zeff would pick the daily special for him. He had had a hand in selecting the ingredients after all.   
It was plated beautifully, with the fish filet draped over the rice, and the colourful vegetables laid on the side of the dish. A delicate drizzle of lemon and dill veloute completed the picturesque meal, causing Sanji to salivate as he glanced upon the dish. He hoped he could one day serve a plate that could provoke such a physical reaction.

  
“Sanji! What’s been your favourite part of the year?” Vivi asked, smiling at him with that gorgeous face of hers.

  
“Uh,” He hesitated, watching the expectant eyes of his friends around him. What was he supposed to say? The latter half of the year had been a bit of a shit show. With a stifled sigh, he answered, “Getting ready at the magnificent Vivi’s place for Halloween was quite lovely.”

  
Zoro narrowed his eyes, “And why’s that, Curly?”

  
He rolled his eyes, “Because I like spending time with you morons, okay?” 

  
Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he was simply happy to see Ace that day. 

  
Vivi seemed to accept that as a reasonable answer, as she proceeded to Chopper next. 

  
“Oh, definitely the time that Zoro thought Amsterdam was a southern state,” The youngest teen chuckled, much to the green-haired drummer’s chagrin.

  
Luffy didn’t even wait for Vivi’s prompt, adding, “My favourite part of the year was jamming with Torao for the first time!”

  
Of course it was, Sanji thought bitterly, and then proceeded to list off all the obscure curse words he could think of, while being not at all jealous. 

  
Law was next, and he muttered, “Playing with you guys hasn’t been terrible.” He then nodded to Usopp, in hopes that he would take over without any questions.

  
He was quick to chime, “The Christmas Eve party was pretty damn neato mosquito.”

  
“And I particularly liked when you mixed the band’s sound while doing a headstand during the summer Festival of Flowers,” Nami laughed.

  
“I, personally, have loved leading the Pop Choir with this handsome stud,” Vivi winked at Sanji, “For the last year. Gonna miss you, booboo.”

  
Sanji raised his water glass to the blue-haired girl.

  
Robin was next, hesitating a moment before nodding, “I hate to be _that_ girl, but… Zoro’s trip to the interactive museum was certainly memorable.” She shot a sweet smile at the swordsman next to her. 

  
“Yeah…” Zoro wore a dopey, lovesick grin on his face as he continued, “Robin is easily my favourite part of this year.”

  
“Boo!” Luffy pouted, crossing his arms across his chest, “That’s boring.”

  
“Boo, indeed,” Sanji added, “Tell me, dear Robin, how you can stand such a brute.”

  
Robin shrugged, placing a kiss on the drummer’s cheek, flushing the latter a deep shade of red.

  
“I’m just grateful I didn’t have to fail any of you,” Brook laughed, “Though I did consider holding Mr. Sanji back just to keep him for an extra semester. Yo ho ho!”

  
Sanji blushed, grumbling about how he was better at clarinet than his stupid teacher gave him credit for.

  
Franky made everyone laugh so hard, they fought back tears as he explained, “My favourite part of the year was definitely Luf getting stuck in a folding chair, and not gettin’ that he simply had to straighten up to snap the thing back to its normal shape.”

  
Luffy stuck his tongue out, “Not my fault there were no instructions.”

  
“Because only idiots need instructions for folding chairs,” Law grumbled. 

  
It was at that moment that Zeff returned with a bottle of champagne, and a bottle of ‘sparkling apple cider’, which was mysteriously uncorked. Zeff made a big show of placing it on the table as he poured the bubbly alcoholic beverage to Robin, Zoro, Brook, and Franky.   
“Help yourself to the _apple cider,_ folks,” He enthused while placing champagne flutes on the table. Sanji knew better than to ask. 

  
As everyone dug into their meals, Luffy inhaling his plate as if it didn’t consist of a massive bone-in ribsteak, two lobster tails, and a shrimp skewer (He hoped Garp had given him some money, and the band fund wasn’t paying for the gluttonous monster), Sanji took a moment to fill all the empty champagne flutes with the _apple cider_. 

  
“Torao,” Robin tilted her head as she eyed the navy blue, floral patterned button up shirt that seemed rather out of place on the teen, “Is that Sabo’s shirt?”

  
Law fixed her with an indifferent, guarded gaze, “And what would make you think that, Miss Nico?”

  
Luffy chuckled, “Oh right, Robin went to GLI with Sabo and Ace.”

  
“You don’t just forget a shirt like that, you know,” Robin giggled, “I’m pretty sure he wore it to prom.”

  
Law paled, turning his head to scowl at Luffy next to him, “You couldn’t have told me that?!” 

  
“So it _is_ Sabo’s shirt!” Usopp gasped, whispering to Nami, “Did Torao kill Sabo?”

  
“Not _yet_ ,” Law grumbled under his breath, poking at the fried fish dish in front of him with his fork.

  
“Why does Torao have Luffy’s brother’s shirt, then?” Chopper asked, already flipping through the dessert menu. 

  
“We’re living together!” Luffy announced, much to Law’s chagrin.

  
“ _WHAT_?!” The entire room vibrated from the shout.

  
“Yow! Congrats, dudes!” Franky leaned across the table to high-five a beaming Luffy.

  
Brook wiggled his eyebrows at Nami, musing, “Seems things are moving faster than anticipated.”

  
“You should have seen them in the music room a couple weeks ago,” Vivi muttered, shooting a knowing glance at Sanji. He nodded in agreement. 

  
“I have no idea what you morons are talking about,” Law scoffed, stabbing the fish with increased vigor. Sanji winced – he was ruining a perfectly good meal. 

  
Zoro crossed his arms across his chest, having finished his rice dish just as quickly as Luffy, “Good luck, Torao. You’re gonna need it.”

  
“Why?” Luffy pouted, slinging an arm around Law’s shoulders, “Torao and I are friends! He likes me, right, Torao?”

  
Law had completely given up on his meal at this point, falling silent and staring into his lap. Sanji wondered if he was wishing he could disappear. Perhaps there was a little bit of Sanji that wished Law would disappear as well.

  
“You’re both idiots,” Nami sighed, rolling her eyes in Brook’s direction. Brook clinked his flute against hers, and they sipped with their pinkies held out. 

  
“Oi, can we talk about something else instead of interrogating Dumb and Dumber over there?” Sanji grumbled, taking pity on the teen across the table.

  
Despite Sanji’s growing awareness that he considered Law a threat to his place in the band, and that he wasn’t overly fond of how much belief Luffy seemed to place in him (with no tangible evidence as to why he deserved such unwavering faith), he wasn’t heartless. Law seemed awfully uncomfortable, and it wasn’t like he was an open book in the first place. The odds that there was a deeply personal reason for the teen to be staying with Luffy were high, and Sanji knew better than anyone that there were some things you didn’t want to share.

  
“Okay, Sanji, why were you at the mall with Ace a couple weeks ago?” Nami asked, staring at him like a cat eyeing her prey.

  
Oh, for fuck’s sake.

  
He furrowed his brow, feigning ignorance as he asked, “Hmmm? When was that?”

  
Brook sipped his champagne, elaborating, “Miss Nami and I just happened to see the two of you coming out of the odds and ends store. You were holding something wrapped up on parchment paper.”

  
“Oh!” He tried to plaster an easy going smile on his face, “He was helping me with the moss-head’s present.” 

  
“The marimo of everlasting love?” Vivi giggled, prompting Zoro to growl at her. 

  
“But why ask Ace for help?” Luffy frowned, “I know Zoro better than anyone.”

  
Sanji was so grateful that the teen had played right into his hand. “Well, exactly, but you can’t lie for shit,” Sanji explained, “And Zoro spent a lot of time at your house while you two were growing up, so I figured Ace would be good help, and I wouldn’t have to worry about him ruining the gift exchange.” He paused, remembering the stupid moss ball and grumbled, “But I guess he set me up after all.”

  
Everyone seemed to buy this, nodding and muttering that his elaboration made sense, save for the stupid drummer. Zoro glared at him, seeing right through his lie, and he shook his head subtly, as if to somehow insult Sanji without the use of words. Shitty oaf. 

  
“Hey Nami, any luck with booking shows?” Robin inquired, politely dabbing at the side of her lips with her napkin.

  
The manager deflated, Vivi patting her on the back as she sighed, “I’m trying, guys. Really, I am, but there’s just… nothing.”

  
“Can’t you try to flirt with Drake or something? Isn’t his dad the show runner for _Shakky’s_?” Zoro suggested, Vivi swatting at his shoulder with an irritated frown. Usopp looked surprisingly against this option, shaking his head as he went to say something, and then cut himself off, resulting in an odd yelp.

  
“Wait, hold up, I’m pretty sure I saw Victoria Punk post something on Instagram about a show at _Shakky’s_ … Is that how they got their ban lifted?” Chopper gasped.

  
Nami groaned, “Of course. I heard Drake’s father threatened to move the shows to _Party’s_ across town, and Shakky obviously realized just how much money she would lose, so she told him that she would allow Victoria Punk back on the premise.”

  
“What the hell?” Sanji resisted the urge to slam his fist on the table, “How is that fair?!”

  
Franky shot him a sympathetic gaze, “It’s not, Sanji bro, but everything goes in Rock n’ Roll.”

  
“See? Franky totally agrees that it was fair for me to kick Jaggy’s ass,” Luffy insisted, nudging Law with his elbow. The other teen looked entirely unimpressed.

  
“Okay, perhaps bar fights are fair, but it doesn’t mean they are socially acceptable. Imagine if someone my age got roped into it! These old bones can’t take a hit! I would have died and you would have been associated with murder! Yo ho ho ho!” Brook sang, pouring more champagne into his flute. 

  
The group paused to shoot the elderly man a horrified look, save for Robin, who giggled as she raised her glass to him. 

  
“Regardless, we’re not _using_ Nami to hit on someone who hangs out with Eustass Kid. That guy is scary. And an asshole,” Usopp shuddered, “And scary.”

  
“Not to mention, I’ve already shot Drake down, like, ten times,” Nami flicked her hair over her shoulder, “He would get suspicious if I started warming up to him.”

  
“Hold up,” Usopp leaned over the table to get a better look at the girl next to Law. There was an odd amount of concern in his voice as he asked, “Drake’s been hitting on you?”

  
She waved him off, “Well yeah, he’s always like, ‘Oh, Nami, you’re such a good manager. They would be lost without you. We should get together for coffee and you can teach me your secrets’, and ‘Nami, you look so stunning today, care for a drink?’ and ‘Bet you’d look better in a Victoria Punk shirt, or nothing at – ’”

  
“OKAY, HE HAS TO DIE NOW,” Usopp emitted a strangled squeak.

  
Sanji narrowed his eyes at the sound technician. What was with the obvious jealousy? Had something happened between his friends, or was Usopp just succumbing to the effects of the, um, _apple cider_ , and doing a piss poor job of covering up his long term crush on Nami?

  
Although, Sanji was prone to agree with him, fuming, “How _dare_ he speak so lewdly of our sweet, perfect Nami! If I had been there for the fight, I would have rammed my heel right into that massive chin of his. ‘X’ marks the spot, am I right?”

  
Luffy snickered loudly, “Sanji’s so funny.” He was absently twirling his finger into Law’s sleeve, the other teen eyeing the former’s hand on his arm with unguarded curiosity. He didn’t look entirely uncomfortable, though perhaps a little stiff, and the way his head was ducked certainly obscured the hint of red creeping across his face.

  
It was odd. Their sunny frontman was a naturally touchy person, who was never one to regard personal space, but he was _different_ when it came to Law. It was as if he had to constantly be touching him, as if his hands sought him out before his brain did. And Law, well, he had gone from someone fervently against contact, to being entirely tolerant of Luffy’s little touches. Sanji would even say, without a doubt, that he liked them. One would have to be blind _and_ deaf not to realize that Law had a big ol’ category five (out of five) crush on the teen at this point. 

  
He didn’t envy Law. Trying to figure out if Luffy returned his feelings was probably akin to sifting through a haystack in an attempt to find more than one needle that gave him enough evidence. 

  
The signs were all there, but it was Luffy. He could potentially just feel some deeper, platonic connection to Law. Or, perhaps his little touches were meant as reassurance for the older teen. There was clearly something going on in Law’s life if he had willingly moved in to Luffy’s house. Maybe this was Luffy’s way of reminding him that he was safe among friends. 

  
“Oi, Luf, wanna resume practice the first day back at school?” Zoro grunted from across the table. 

  
Robin nodded, “That works for me. I just can’t do Tuesdays or Thursdays as I have late classes.”

  
“Hey, that works super well, since Torao has Pop Choir on those days anyway, right?” Vivi smiled at the quiet boy, who was still focused on Luffy’s fingers in his shirt.

  
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, but I mean, we’ve made it work before,” Law shrugged.

  
Vivi nodded, musing, “That’s true, but I have a bit of an idea I want to run through you later, okay?”

  
Law raised an eyebrow, grumbling a soft agreement.

  
“Yeah, Monday it is!” Luffy cheered, immediately seeing if all their friends could make it for the first practice after the holidays.

  
“Um, actually…” Sanji hesitated. Now was the time to break the news, wasn’t it? He spoke slowly, “I’m starting fulltime here on Monday…”

  
“Congratulations, bro! That’s great!” Franky was quick to enthuse, reaching over to pat a large hand on his back.

  
Brook’s sympathetic gaze told him that his music teacher knew exactly what was worrying him, though he simply added, “It will be a great opportunity for you to practice your craft, Sanji. Well done.”

  
“Okay,” Luffy beamed at him, “When are you free to practice, then?”

  
Sanji stared at the empty plate in front of him, “I’m working Monday to Friday, so I can do weekends?”

  
An awkward silence hung over the table as everyone digested the information.

  
“Ah,” Robin sighed after a moment, “I just promised Perona I would take the weekend closes while we didn’t have any shows.”

  
Zoro frowned, “I’m taking over Koushiro’s intermediate classes on weekends as well, so I’ll be working at the dojo from 10am to 5:30pm.”

  
“Yeah, I…” Sanji sighed heavily, “I expected that much.”

  
“Sanjiii,” Luffy whined, “Can’t you just switch your schedule?”

  
Nami and Vivi were silent, Usopp was watching him in concern, Chopper was patting his shoulder.

  
He shook his head, “The shitty geezer wants me working with himself and our sous-chef, Patty, and he only works on weekdays. Says it’s the best way to learn.”

  
Luffy crossed his arms across his chest, cocking his head to the side as he looked the blond guitarist up and down. There was confusion written across his face. 

  
“Are you saying you don’t want to be in the band anymore?” He sounded hurt as he posed the question.

  
“What? God, Luffy, no!” Sanji protested, “I just… I don’t know how we’re going to work around this.”

  
The other teen shrugged, “We can practice with Torao and you can practice on your own? As long as you’re ready for a show, then it should be fine, right?”

  
Law’s head immediately shot up, fixing Sanji with that hard golden stare. 

  
He fought the bile that rose in his throat as a wave of jealousy hit him. 

  
He was being so silly. Of course this was the best option, and it wasn’t as if Law was trying to usurp him. If anything, the way Law was peering at him, it was as if he was seeking permission, as though he wouldn’t dare to accept Luffy’s offer unless Sanji was comfortable with it. 

  
“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” Sanji shot his bandmates a shaky smile, “As long as you get a goddamn song written Torao, since Luffy is set on you doing it.”

  
Law ducked his head, “Yeah, I’ve been working on it.” He checked his phone as it suddenly buzzed to life, an incoming call lighting up the screen. He excused himself from the table, Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy sliding out of the booth so Law could scoot out of the room.   
“Torao’s gonna miss the countdown,” Luffy pouted, prompting everybody to check the time.

  
“Oh hey, it’s 11:58pm!” Vivi gasped, quick to grab the bottle of _apple cider_ and topping up the glasses, save for the ones who were drinking from the, uh, _labeled_ champagne bottle.

  
Usopp immediately pulled up a livestream of the New Year’s Eve party that was being broadcasted from Time’s Square in New York city. They all slid out from the booth, gathering in a huddled at the foot of the table as they began to chant along with the rest of the patrons of the restaurant.

  
“10! 9! 8! 7!”

  
Usopp’s eyes were fixed on Nami, although she seemed to have her back turned to him, clinging to Vivi. There was a clear tension between the two of them, and Nami was avoiding the boy who obviously wanted to kiss her as the ball dropped. What on earth had happened between them?

  
“6! 5!”

  
Zoro had looped his arm around Robin’s waist, pulling him to his chest as they whispered the countdown to each other, heads tilting, the distance between their lips closing.

  
“4! 3! 2!”

  
Sanji could have sworn that Luffy looked eagerly towards the door of their private room, disappointment in his big brown eyes as he realized that Law had yet to return from his call. He thought it was a shame that the lanky teen had missed the look that crossed Luffy’s face. Perhaps it would have spurred him on.

  
“1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

  
Everyone cheered as the restaurant burst into noisy applause. They could hear the hollering from the kitchen from where they were gathered in their little room. It was one of those magical moments where you were hyper aware that everyone around you was experiencing the same thing, the birth of a new year. 

  
He caught Usopp frowning as Nami and Vivi kissed chastely, taking a step towards the red-head just to be pulled back by Luffy. Luffy slammed his lips onto Usopp, the latter protesting and sputtering as he pushed his friend away. Luffy was completely unfazed, as he then moved onto Chopper, who shouted, “Ew! Luffy! Don’t lick me!”

  
Franky and Brook pecked each other’s lips briefly, laughing and high fiving as they welcomed January 1st. Zoro and Robin were full on making out, but no one seemed to really care as they hooted and hollered and cheered. 

  
Vivi stepped away from Nami’s side to slip her hand into Sanji’s. She smiled at him politely, before giving him a quick kiss. “Happy New Year, Sanji,” She chimed, “I’m really gonna miss you around school, you know. We all are.”

  
Sanji sighed, grateful that he had at least gotten a kiss from a beautiful lady as the ball dropped, “I’m gonna miss you guys too.”

  
Returning to their seats, Chopper suggested, “Hey, let’s discuss our resolutions for this year!”

  
The group groaned, though the Chopper was quick to lead them, stating that he was hoping to finish his textbook on First Aid basics by June, which would be truly impressive for the young scholar. It wasn’t that he wasn’t a quick reader it was just… That was a lot of medical jargon without a captivating plot, you know?

  
As Nami explained that she was going to look at becoming more independent, utilizing her license and arranging a schedule with Nojiko to borrow the car from time to time, Sanji’s phone buzzed.

  * 12:06am – **fireball**  
_Happy New Year, Swirly_ 😘



He angled his phone towards his chest, fully aware that Brook was attempting to subtly sneak a peak at his phone screen. He didn’t miss the pump of Nami’s eyebrow and the small shake of the music teacher’s head. It was awfully hard for him to make any subtle movements when his afro bobbed with the slightest twitch. 

  
Ace had texted him a kissy face emoji. _A kissy face._

  
His heart leapt directly into his throat. How was he supposed to respond to that? 

  
The fact that the young adult had thought of Sanji shortly after the ball drop had him inferring that Ace had been thinking of him. What would have happened had they been in the same place? Would he have kissed the freckled beauty as the clock struck midnight? Would he have hesitated or would he have let his body make the decisions?

  
His fingers trembled as he deleted the words he had typed. It didn’t matter what Ace was up to right now, if he was at some university party with Sabo, or with classmates from Redline College. What mattered was that Ace had texted _him._ It was a sign, wasn’t it? 

  
He had made the first move.

  
Sanji took a deep breath in. It was the New Year, dammit. The year that was going to officially start his career as a chef. The year that was probably going to be one hell of a rollercoaster. The year that started the next big chapter of his life. 

  
“What’s your resolution, Sanji?” Vivi asked, her gentle eyes staring into him. 

  
“I, um,” He let the words fall from his mouth, “I want to work on doing what I _want_ , instead of worrying about what others think I should do.”

  
Robin’s lips curled up into a smile. The shitty drummer nodded, a satisfied grunt accompanying the brusque movement. His steely eyes shone with a rare approval that was so foreign to Sanji that he felt uncomfortable on the receiving end. Usopp muttered something about Sanji having to show everyone up with his ‘deep resolution’. 

  
“TORAO! You missed the countdown!” Luffy pouted as Law, looking more sullen than ever, returned to the table. 

  
“Just… family things,” The teen waved his hand to accompany his vague explanation. Everyone knew better than to question him, though the soft concern in Luffy’s eyes as he shuffled back into the booth next to his new roommate was enough to worry everyone. 

  
As Franky announced his resolution to build a real life Transformers robot (if anyone could do it, it was Franky), Sanji turned his attention back to his phone. He re-read the message from Ace over and over again.

  
Just do what you want to do, you absolute idiot. 

  
He typed out a message, flinching when he received an answer immediately.

  * 12:10am – **swirly**  
_Let me cook for you next Saturday, 8pm, my place._



  * 12:10am – **fireball**  
_It’s a date._



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the most exciting chapter, I know! Mostly just set up, thus why you guys are getting two today! :)


	17. Coma Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Law things about what he really wants in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have another chapter today :)  
> Title is a song by Motion City Soundtrack!

“Hey Torao, this is so neat!” Luffy kicked a particularly large pebble of de-icing salt towards the snowbanks that lined the sidewalk, “Walking to school together! It would be cooler if we could skate though.”

  
“Does breathing entertain you, Mr. Straw Hat?” Law had his hands tucked away in the pockets of his winter jacket, white spotted hat pulled as low over his ears as possible. The air was dry, still, and cold, which, although unpleasant, was preferred over active snow and harsh winds. The world still seemed dark due to the later rise of the sun, which was obscured by thick grey clouds regardless. It was days like this that validated the concept of seasonal depression in Law’s books. 

  
“Breathing is pretty fun right now, and we get to do this _evey day_!” Luffy snickered, and Law knew without looking at him that the younger teen was _skipping_ at his side. His legs were long, sure, but surely Luffy didn’t have to leap to keep up with him. No, he was simply finding his own amusement by moving in such an odd way. 

  
He ducked the lower half of his face below the collar of his jacket to hide the smile that he hadn’t been able to repress. 

  
Curse his stupid, sunny personality. 

  
They were polar opposites. Really, they were. 

  
If Luffy was a natural optimist, Law was the poster child for the eternal pessimist. Where Law was slow to trust, wary of the dark secrets that hid beneath the social facades of passers by, Luffy was quick to establish the best traits of everyone and everything. Law avoided making connections in general, for fear that he would simply be let down and disappointed. Luffy always took a chance on someone, and when wronged, he focused on the solution instead of the problem. Someone insulted his band? He beat them up. Someone hurt his friend? He got his friend to safety, and was not done with the other guy quite yet. 

  
It was fascinating to watch, how Luffy threw his entire being into everything he cared about, and chose to take the risk that things might not work out in his favour, willing to deal with the consequences as they arose. 

  
Law preferred a contingency plan for every possible outcome, to worry and exhaust himself over the multitude of situations that could branch off from one incident, following various paths as if climbing a tree to reach a particularly pretty leaf blowing precariously at the top, on the most fragile branch. 

  
How had he not foreseen the loveable idiot crawling under his skin like this?

  
“Oi, it’s @BepoBear!” Penguin chuckled as Law and Luffy approached the rusted Camry.

  
“I see no dog here,” Law grumbled, nodding to Shachi, who waved in greeting from his usual spot on the trunk of the car. 

  
“Hey, Straw Hat! Don’t waste your time. _Guyliner_ over here doesn’t smile until noon at the earliest,” Penguin chuckled, sticking his tongue out at Law as he held up his finger tattooed with ‘A’ in response. 

  
“What’s a morning person like you doing hanging around with this mopey bastard, anyway?” Shachi chirped, looking up from the screen of his phone. 

  
Luffy cocked his head to the side, “Did Torao not tell you?” 

  
Law briefly considered that having a supernatural power to just… switch places with that rock in the distance, or something, would be cool.

  
An evil grin split across his friends’ features as they leaned in for the juicy gossip. 

  
“Tell us _what,_ Straw Hat?” Penguin pumped his eyebrows beneath the brim of his hat.

  
Luffy blinked, beaming, “Torao is living with me.”

  
They clearly had not been expecting that answer, as they nearly fell off the back of the Camry in shock. 

  
There was a loud _ping!_ and Luffy looked at his phone. “Oh, Nami wants to meet at our lockers before class,” He beamed, waving to the three teens in the parking lot as he took off towards the entrance to the school, “See you guys at lunch!”

  
“See… us at lunch?” Penguin faltered, just as Shachi fixed Law with a hard glare.

  
“Law, you son of a bitch, what have you done?” 

  
He shrugged, “He caught me at a vulnerable time, okay? He said I should come to his place and I… I just went. I don’t know. I’ll have to deal with Doflamingo eventually, but… it’s been nice.”

  
Shachi mock fainted, holding a hand to the breast of his jacket, “Pen, are you hearing this? We’ve been replaced! Law’s got a new B-F-F!”

  
“It’s not like that,” Law huffed, once again ducking his head to hide his face from his nosey friends. 

  
Penguin narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to say something before closing it and nudging Shachi’s limp arm that was flung across the trunk of the rusty red car. The other teen sat up abruptly, shooting the former a confused look. 

  
“Hold up,” Penguin spoke slowly, “You’ve never accepted our offers to stay with us… Are you…”

  
Shachi gasped, “Are you in _love_ with Straw Hat?”

  
Law knew his face was the shade of a perfectly ripe strawberry, or a cliché rose, or Luffy’s winter jacket and OH MY GOD, couldn’t he stop thinking about him for _one second?_

  
“Dude,” Penguin was cackling, clutching his sides as he spoke between bouts of laughter, “Have you… Have you been gay… this whole time?!”

  
Shachi wiped tears from his eyes, howling loudly and leaning on the other idiot for support, “Oh man… Oh man, why didn’t you _tell_ us?!”

  
“You never asked,” Law muttered, feeling as though the ground could open up and swallow him whole and he’d be okay with that.

  
“Well, now we look like assholes,” Penguin was breathing heavily, jumping down from the car to clap a hand onto Law’s shoulder, “Sorry for trying to set you up with all those goth girls over the years.”

  
“Yeah, we didn’t realize you were more into peppy skater boys,” Shachi winked. 

  
Law growled a fair amount of choice curses at the two of them before stalking off to his locker, eager to get away from their playful jabs and start the first lesson of the new semester. 

  
“Oh, Torao! We were wondering if we’d see you here!” 

  
He lifted his gaze as he entered the Photography classroom, his eyes passing over the black and white prints hanging in windows, and the collection of retro film cameras waiting to be signed out, before falling on Nami and Vivi. The two girls sat at two desks at the back of the class, next to the entrance to the dark room where they developed film. 

  
He was surprised at the relief he felt loosening his chest.

  
Vivi gestured to the desk in front of them, and Law’s feet must have moved on their own accord, because he slung his bag around the chair and sat down. 

  
Mr. Jango opened the class with a review on perspective and composition, reminding the students of the importance to draw the eye towards your desired target. He swiftly assigned the first project of the New Year, and challenged them all to capture a captivating optical illusion, promising them that if they were to repeat his catchphrase – “1…2…Jango!” instead of ‘cheese’ – they would be inspired by his teachings. 

  
Law wondered just how much education Mr. Jango had. It was almost as if he had read a single book on photography and was simply hypnotizing Principal Sengoku into believing that he was capable of teaching a curriculum that he most certainly stole from someone else online. 

  
His next class of the day was 12th grade Chemistry, taught by Mr. Gastino. He was a strangely familiar man who was relatively new to the school as of last semester, and the students from his class had claimed that he was flamboyant and eccentric and downright crazy and oh my god – 

  
Was Sengoku _high_? _Who was hiring these people?_

  
Law thought Mr. Smoker with his dual cigars and Mr. Jango’s bullshit were bad, and that was before he realized that he recognized Mr. Gastino because the psychopath had _definitely_ been at his uncle’s house more than once, going by ‘Caesar Clown’ and most likely involved in some sort of illegal deal that Doflamingo was arranging. 

  
Was GLI just a front for half of these teachers?!

  
Vivi didn’t seem to notice how he had paled as she grabbed them two desks side by side near the windows at the side of the classroom. Nami had gone in a different direction after Photography, though it had been established rather quickly that the blue-haired girl had the next class with him as well. It had taken an embarrassingly long stretch of silence after she had posed a question to realize that she was trailing after him, addressing him as they walked through the hallways.

  
He wasn’t used to being around ‘friends’ in between classes.

  
It was even weirder when he had imitated Vivi’s earlier gesture, waving Zoro over when the drummer entered the classroom. 

  
“You guys gonna do my labs for me if I sit here, or what?” Zoro chuckled as he slid into the desk in front of Law.

  
“Zoro, you’ve already graduated, you don’t even need to be here,” Vivi rolled her eyes.

  
“Mr. Morgan would be furious if I ‘retired’ in the middle of basketball season,” The drummer shrugged before nodding to Penguin, who sat in the desk next to Law, “I call dibs on Torao for lab partner.”

  
“Huh? What? I just got here! How is that fair?” Penguin complained, letting his head fall forward into his textbook.

  
Vivi giggled, “It’s okay, Penguin, you can stick with me.”

  
Hearts immediately shone in the teen’s eyes as he stared at the pretty woman behind Law. The same pretty woman who was often found ogling the members of Cherry Bomb at every show Law had attended.

  
He figured Penguin could only handle one big sexuality reveal per day, choosing to break the man’s heart some other time

.  
After Mr. Gastino’s terrifying demonstration that involved a fair amount of sulfur, resulting in the entire class’s clothes reeking of rotten eggs, Law was pleasantly surprised to find out that both Penguin and Shachi were in his MSIP class. At least, that way he could keep an eye on their homework… make sure they were on route to graduating…

  
Wait, why was he so concerned? He had never gone out of his way to help them in the past and they had scraped by just fine.

  
What were the Straw Hats and co. _doing_ to him?!

  
If he had thought that lunch would have been somewhat normal, he had been horribly mistaken. The moment the trio entered the cafeteria, they ran right into Usopp, who began to discuss the latest episode of some animated show about an eccentric pirate crew with Penguin and Shachi. That effectively distracted his two friends long enough for the long nosed teen to lure them towards the long table by the window, next to the garbage can that acted as a front for Nami’s betting pool. 

  
Next thing he knew, Law was wedged between Nami and Chopper, the former offering him half of her tangerine after scoffing at his measly granola bar, and the latter asking him if he knew anything about how best to treat concussions. Usopp sat across the table, discussing fan theories with Penguin and Shachi, and Zoro and Luffy were currently fighing over what looked to be the drummer’s meal of rice balls, despite the fact that Mr. Straw Hat himself still had a full lunch box in front of him. Vivi was the last to join the table, sliding next to Chopper and asking the younger teen how the first half of his day went.

  
“You’ll get used to it,” Nami murmured softly, as if reading his discomfort, “I’m sure it’s overwhelming right now, but we all like having you around. And, well, you haven’t really given us reason to think you _don’t_ like having us around too.”

  
Law considered that the noise around them was enough to veil his words as he responded quietly, “I have never had this many people in my life before.”

  
Nami slid him another segment of tangerine. He popped the fruit into his mouth, savouring the burst of citrusy sweetness on his tongue. 

  
“Is it so bad?” She mused.

  
“It’s not easy, but,” he whispered, his gaze traveling to Luffy, rice dotting the corners of his lips, although there was nothing rice based about his lunch. No wonder Zoro looked so frustrated. He smirked, “I’ll get used to it.”

  
Nami, Shachi and Vivi accompanied him to 12th Grade English (Why Ms. Hina, who only referred to herself in the third person, was in charge of correcting grammar, he wasn’t sure) next, and at this point in the day, Law was coming to terms with the fact that, yes, he was rather enjoying having friends (plural!) in each of his classes. He felt like an entirely new person, someone that people actually liked spending time with, someone who was still capable of making connections with others despite having pushed people away for so long.   
He had been such a lukewarm friend to Penguin and Shachi, and they had always been there for him, no matter what.

  
It wasn’t an easy truth to swallow, but it was the truth nonetheless, and if his time with the Straw Hats was teaching him how to be a better friend, how to _feel_ things again, then accepting Luffy’s invitation months ago would go down in history as the best decision he had ever made.

  
Maybe there was still hope for him.

  
“What are you doing here?” Law blinked in surprise as he entered the music room. This was the only class in which he hadn’t expected to really know anybody. He had taken 11th Grade Music last semester to catch up and take 12th Grade this term, but he was fully aware that Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Vivi had all taken their music class in the fall. 

  
Luffy looked up at him from where he sat, trombone already set up and resting between his legs, “I didn’t want to wait for next year, so I took 12th Grade music now.”

  
“Impatient as always, aren’t you, Mr. Straw Hat?” Law sighed as he slid into his usual seat in front of him. He was fully aware that his annoyance at Luffy’s sudden appearance was feigned. His heart was pounding against his ribs like it was too excited to stay put. 

  
“Torao, stop calling me that,” Luffy frowned, leaning forward to blow into Law’s hair, ruffling the black locks. 

  
“No, I don’t think I will,” He responded dryly, assembling the mouthpiece of his tenor saxophone with a fresh reed.

  
“You call me Luffy when we’re alone though,” The younger teen pouted.

  
“That’s different,” He snapped, just as Mr. Sohl sauntered by on his way to the podium at the front of the class.

  
“Yo ho ho? What’s this I hear? A lovers quarrel?” Mr. Sohl laughed heartily, stepping briskly past them before Law could recover enough to rebut, “How cute.”

  
“Torao? What’s a quarrel?” Luffy was leaning forward, his breath ghosting over the back of Law’s neck.

  
“Nothing you should be concerned about!” He growled, stiffening his spine and rolling his shoulders in an attempt to rid himself of the embarrassing red blush that betrayed him. Every. Single. Time. 

  
“But we’re not lovers,” Luffy’s voice was surprisingly soft.

  
Law ignored him, focusing instead on Mr. Sohl’s baton as he rapped it against the blackboard, demanding the class’s attention. 

  
“Yo ho ho ho! For those who don’t know me, and for those who’s parents don’t know me, this old walking, talking skeleton is Mr. Sohl,” The music teacher introduced himself, scrawling his name with chalk on the board, “I figured we would start things off with a challenge. I am intrigued to see how much you all remember from last year. I’m so old, I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast!”

  
He had said a total of 4 sentences, and the students were already rolling their eyes.

  
“Why don’t we split up into pairs? I would like every pair to pick a song of your choice – any song, it doesn’t matter which one – and try to learn a small part of it from your memory alone. Before you ask, no, you will not be graded. This is simply a warm up exercise to evaluate a good starting point as of tomorrow. You have half the period to work together, and then the rest of the class will be presenting your pieces.”

  
Mr. Sohl’s afro wiggled as he spun with a flourish, ending his instructions and allowing the class to divide themselves up into pairs. He then returned to his office, leaving the students completely unsupervised.

  
Okay, he liked Brook, but _seriously_?

  
“Toraoooo,” Luffy whined, prompting Law to turn around.

  
“Yeah, yeah, you can be my partner. Any song ideas?” He sighed, flipping to a piece of blank lined paper in his music binder. He quickly drew up several blank bars, ready to write out whatever melody they came up with.

  
“Something we both know well,” Luffy chirped, readying his trombone.

  
“No shit, Mr. Straw Hat,” Law hissed, just as Luffy shrugged and played a series of 3 notes. _D-G-A_.

  
He blinked. 

  
“What’s the first song that comes to mind when I do this?” Luffy asked, repeating the notes, arm extending as he pushed out the lever of the trombone. 

  
“Uh, Simple Plan?” Law’s brow furrowed, staring down at his sheet and penning a time signature and key, “ _Addicted_?”

  
“Yeah, that works,” Luffy grinned, expanding on his set of notes and mimicking the bass line of the song, “See, that didn’t require a bunch of thinking.”

  
It took very minimal effort to figure out the vocal melody on his saxophone, and then they tweaked a few bits in the chorus to let the trombone shine in a nice harmony. They were done the assignment in 10 minutes, and practicing their little piece as if they had been playing it together for years.

  
“Almost like you two are meant to play together, hmmm?” Mr. Sohl hummed in amusement as he once again wandered by the pair at the worst time – just as they had finished the chorus and lowered their instruments from their mouths to smile at each other. The teacher chuckled, “Soulmates give my ancient heart a reason to keep beating.”

  
The glare on Law’s face sent Mr. Sohl scurrying away, a delighted, “Yo ho ho ho!” bubbling to his lips. 

  
He escorted Luffy to his locker, meeting up with the usual group after class. He waited patiently as everyone grabbed their stuff, and then walked together – as a unit, and Law could not get over just how weird this all felt – to the other end of the hallway, where Law retrieved his jacket. 

  
“Yo, why don’t you guys come to the practice today?” Usopp offered to Penguin and Shachi, “We all go and hang out while the band plays, then we usually have a drink or two after with Franky.”

  
“…Can we smoke?” Penguin asked, although Shachi was already nodding along eagerly. 

  
“I’m sure that’s fine,” Nami shrugged, with Usopp piping up, “Actually, Franky’d probably encourage it.”

  
With Bepo now at Luffy’s, and both Garp and Ace agreeing to let him out when they returned home, Law had the opportunity to walk to the jam space with Nami and Vivi, Usopp having taken Luffy, Chopper, as well as Penguin and Shachi, in his car. It had been surprising when the red-headed girl turned down her friend’s offer for a ride, and even more startling that the sound tech seemed to have developed a very fast friendship with Law’s two buddies. Perhaps now they would have someone to talk to about all the video games and TV shows he just didn’t care about. 

  
He found himself missing Luffy as he listened to Nami whine about the winter winds making her nose run.

  
“Why didn’t you just go with Usopp when he asked?” Vivi laughed, nudging her friend towards a snowbank. 

  
“I don’t know,” Nami scowled as she ducked her chin into her mint green scarf, “I didn’t want to be in a car full of smelly boys?”

  
“It’s never bothered you before.”

  
“It’s complicated, okay?!” The red head snapped, speeding up to walk ahead of them and effectively ending the conversation. 

  
“Wonder what’s going on with her,” Vivi hummed as she fell into step alongside Law. 

  
Law shrugged, truly indifferent to the exchange. 

  
“Hey, listen. I wanted to talk to you about Pop Choir tomorrow,” The blue-haired girl started, attempting to look him in the eye, but failing miserably due to the harsh wind tunnel they were walking through. The result was just a squinted glare, though Law knew that it was far from malicious. 

  
Law nodded, his spotted toque bobbing slightly to show that he was listening. He didn’t feel as though her statement required a verbal answer.

  
“Without Sanji, we need someone to lead the baritones and the tenors,” She explained, “I was thinking that you could, well, move into the Co-Captain position. I mean, you already know the parts, and you can still play the piano for us during rehearsals. We’ll just get Brook to take over piano for performances.”

  
Law’s throat was tight as he muttered, “I don’t perform.”

  
Vivi’s brow furrowed in confusion, “What do you mean? You play the piano during out performances all the time.”

  
“Nah, the piano is backstage. No one can see me. It’s different,” He shook his head, grateful for the current weather allowing him to duck his head and look away without it appearing rude. 

  
“Oh,” He could hear the pout in her voice, “Well, think about it, won’t you? I don’t think anyone in the choir currently knows enough about theory to arrange and write the different parts, and I’d rather not have to teach someone the basics of that.”

  
They couldn’t have reached _Franky’s SUPER Autobody & Mechanical_ at a better time. 

  
Entering the main doors of the garage, the trio were met with the mechanic’s smiling face as he straightened up from where he was changing the tires on a car. 

  
“Yow! You’re missing a real party in there, dudes!” The older man waved them on, with the promise that he would join them for a beer later.

  
The jam space itself reeked of, well, the devil’s lettuce, to put it bluntly. Penguin and Shachi sat on the floor against the front of the couch, on either side of Usopp’s legs. The three were giggling hysterically at a YouTube video that was playing on Shachi’s phone, all reaching into the bag of potato chips that sat at Usopp’s feet at the same time, the action making them laugh even harder. Chopper seemed uninterested in their activities, sitting at the table and kicking his legs out while he read from his favourite textbook. The young teen looked up, genuine excitement flashing in his big eyes as he waved at Law. 

  
Law remembered that Chopper had his first science class today. He wondered which of the three introductions his semester was starting with, hoping for the boy’s sake that it was biology. 

  
Nami and Vivi were quick to strip off their jackets and join Chopper by the table, chatting idly about the upcoming Student Council duties – including the Valentine’s Day dance in February. Law took one look at this stupid, mixed friend group that he had now firmly become a part of, and cursed his luck. He was going to get dragged to the awful dance, wasn’t he? He could feel the embarrassment lapping at his heels already as he turned to look at the other side of the room, at where he knew the person he had undeniably developed _feelings_ (derogatory) for was standing. 

  
“Toraoooo,” Luffy called, beckoning him over while Zoro and Robin smiled at him uneasily.

  
Ah, right, Sanji was no longer able to make it to practices. 

  
It felt wrong, intrusive almost, to plug his guitar into the cook’s amp. 

  
His instrument hummed to life as he strummed a single chord, proceeding to check the tuning on the black Epiphone.

  
“Luf, you sure about this?” Zoro grumbled, raising an eyebrow in the frontman’s direction.

  
“Yeah, I mean, we have to practice in case Nami books us a show, and Sanji said it was okay,” Luffy shot Law a sunny smile, as if they weren’t discussing him like he wasn’t there. 

  
“Do you think Sanji was being honest with us?” Robin mused, “It’s not unlike him to put others before himself.”

  
Zoro shrugged, “Whatever, Curly Brow had his chance to speak up if it really bothered him so much.”

  
All eyes turned to Law, who was awkwardly waiting for, he didn’t know, Luffy to instruct him with what song they were going to play first, or tell him to leave, or _something_.

  
Apparently, they wanted his two cents on this whole situation, though.

  
“Look,” Law sighed, “I’m just here to help. I’m not trying to take his place of anything.”

  
Zoro nodded as Luffy shot him a thumbs up, Robin frowning slightly as she began to tune her bass.

  
“Get on with it, already! It’s weirdly quiet without the music!” Usopp called from his spot on the couch, popping a chip into his mouth.

  
“Put a movie on or something if you need background noise so badly,” Nami snapped at the other teen, prompting Vivi and Chopper to shoot her an alarmed glance.

  
Penguin pulled himself off of the floor to sit next to Usopp on the couch, taunting, “Oi, we finally gonna hear you sing, ya moody bastard?”

  
Luffy blinked, “You two have never heard Torao?”

  
“Nah, he’s always been too embarrassed to play in front of us. He’s a sensitive soul, you know?” Shachi chuckled, crawling around the base of the furniture to resume sitting on the floor, but this time on the opposite side of the couch.

  
“He’s a true ar- _tiste_! Misunderstood and secretly a hopeless romantic,” Penguin snickered, winking at Luffy.

  
Law was ready to throw something at his two idiot friends. Why had they come here anyway? Was their sole purpose to just humiliate him constantly?! 

  
“20 years from now, you’ll both die mysteriously due to surgical complications, and no one will miss you,” He hissed, staring at the fretboard of his guitar to hide his stupid red face. 

  
“Ah, yes, because the police will trust the surgeon whose hands _literally_ scream _death_ ,” Shachi rolled his eyes, lifting his hand and snapping at Usopp. 

  
The other teen put a chip between his fingers. 

  
Fed up with their teasing, and eager to release his pent up frustration, he began strumming the opening to My Chemical Romance’s _I’m Not Okay (I Promise_ ), startling everybody. 

  
Luffy laughed loudly and Law kept the chord going, waiting, refusing to stop until everyone joined in. When Luffy beamed at him with that brilliant, sunny smile, Zoro and Robin nodded to each other, the drummer building up on the floor tom and snare to bring them all into the full intro. 

  
“Torao, you gonna take this one?” Luffy shouted to him. 

  
Law nodded, eyes narrowed as he glared at the two teens sitting by Usopp. 

  
He’d show those assholes. 

  
“ _Well, if you wanted honesty, that’s all you had to say. I never want to let you down, or have you go ‘it’s better off this way.’ For all the dirty looks, the photographs your boyfriend took, remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor,”_ He sang, unable to keep the grin from flashing across his face as he watched Penguin and Shachi’s amused expressions morph into ones of surprise, and then awe. 

  
That was better.

  
Luffy seemed to agree, adding his voice to the chorus as they wailed in perfect harmony, “ _I’m not okay! I’m not okay! I’m not okay, you wear me out!”_

  
Law played to his friends like he really meant it, because he did. He was more expressive with his face and voice than ever before, emphasizing words and shoving his mouth onto the microphone like it belonged there. He stomped his feet and took on power poses when he was singing, eager to prove… something. 

  
What was he trying to prove? Why had he been so offended when they had played it off like he was too nervous to play in front of them? It was the truth, wasn’t it? They had asked him countless times, curious about what exactly he was scrawling in that notebook of his, and yet he always refused to show them.

  
But, the anger that had coursed through his veins when they told the band that he had always been too embarrassed… It made him feel like they didn’t take his dream seriously, like didn’t think he could make it in the music scene. 

  
Wait, he was going to be a doctor, right?

  
Though, the way his heart soared as his fingers flew across the fretboard, his guitar screeching the solo of the song, was magical. The way that Zoro’s drums pounded along with his heart beat, and Robin’s bass line rippled the blood in his veins was enchanting. The way that Luffy looked at him when they were singing together, like he was the only thing that mattered, it felt _right_. There was no better way to explain it. 

  
The adrenaline was surging through his veins post-guitar solo, and he let his voice unravel into a shouting mess as he mimicked the panicked insanity of Gerard Way in the music video for the song.

  
“ _I’m OKAY! I’m okay now,”_ He cried, somehow in and out of tune at the same time, sputtering, “ _Now you really need to listen to me, because I’m telling you the truth! I mean this! I’m okay!”_

  
And then, Luffy – who had also apparently seen the same music video – spoke the back-up line of “ _Trust me,_ ” before slamming a kiss directly on to Law’s cheek.

[(like this)](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/OptimisticSinfulAlaskanhusky-size_restricted.gif)

  
“… _Okay, I’m not okay!_ ” Law’s voice cracked horribly as he tried to regain his composure, forgetting the words for a moment, hand completely missing the strings as he tried to strum, “ _Well I’m not okay, I’m not o-fuckin’-kay!_ ”

  
Luffy had kissed him.

  
On the cheek, yes. As a bit from a music video, yes.

  
BUT STILL.

  
Luffy had _kissed_ him.

  
He wasn’t even sure when the song ended because he was too busy replaying the moment that the adorable teen’s chapped lips had pushed against his cheek for a split second, over and over and over again. 

  
It was Penguin and Shachi’s laughter that brought him back to Earth. They clutched their sides, howling at the blush that creeped across his cheeks, over his nose, and up his ears. Robin was smiling at him with that invasive, knowing look in her eyes. Zoro pumped his eyebrows at him suggestively. Chopper, Vivi, and Nami seemed to have missed the moment, too deep in their own conversation, though Usopp made a kissy face in his direction. 

  
He considered leaving right then and there.

  
Unfortunately, he knew that would make a scene, and that would worry Luffy, and he didn’t want to look into those sweet, concerned eyes later and tell him why he had been so embarrassed. Though, maybe if he did, then Luffy would smile that perfect smile and lean in, just as he had on Christmas, and Law wouldn’t interrupt and… and…

  
“… Like the music video! Right, Torao?” Luffy was blabbering.

  
His stupid friends were still cackling as Law turned his glassy, dazed eyes on the teen, who was grinning at him like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. 

  
“Yeah, like the music video,” He muttered.

  
How had his life gotten simultaneously better _and_ worse?!

  
Luckily, the rest of the practice went by with no further spontaneous actions from the frontman, much to Law’s equal disappointment and relief. He found that playing the whole set with the Straw Hats was extremely entertaining, and a nice workout as he hopped around the jam space, throwing himself physically into the songs just as the others did. It was important to pretend you were on stage, after all, so that your stamina would have adjusted appropriately. Who knew when Nami was going to book them a show and they would have to be in tip top shape. 

  
Not that Law would be playing with them, of course.

  
He wasn’t here to take over for Sanji, but to fill in while the cook was working.

  
Besides, even if he _was_ part of the band, he had promised himself long ago that he would never, ever play for a real audience. He was not a performer. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t put himself out there, in front of strangers, and try to live up to his father’s legacy. His father who had been assassinated on stage. 

  
There was too much pressure.

  
This, the jam space among friends, was different. Even that very first day had been different. There was something so trustworthy about the group of friends who had welcomed him into their little world. A part of him, deep down inside, had told him there was no need to be scared, and then Luffy had placed that mic in front of him, and he hadn’t even thought about it, he just did it.

  
Huh.

  
It really seemed like the best things that were happening to him were the direct result of not thinking.

  
Not that thinking was a bad thing. It was, just, maybe he really did think too much. Maybe Luffy was right. 

  
Franky slammed open the door to the room shortly after their set had come to a close, bearing drinks for the gang. Introductions were brief, as the mechanic recognized Penguin and Shachi from _Shakky’s_ , and was quick to engage them in a conversation on where they purchased their favourite, er, kind of smoke. Nami, Vivi, and Chopper opted to stick with juice, and Zoro called dibs on the three extra beers while plopping down next to Luffy on the floor. Robin took the remaining seat on the couch, gratefully thanking Franky for the beverage, and as Law wandered past her to go ask Chopper how his science class went, he definitely saw something he shouldn’t have seen.

  * 6:05pm – **sanji-kun**  
 _On break, how did practice go with Torao, my darling Robin?_



  * 6:06pm – **robin-chan**  
 _Not the same. We miss you._



His heart fell into the depths of his stomach, which was as cold as the beer in his hand. 

  
Of course, he was just reminding himself anyway. He wasn’t the guitarist for the Straw Hats, and, as much as a tiny part of him dreamed that he was, he never would be. 

  
“Hey, Dr. Tony,” He spoke softly, taking a seat on the floor next to the young teen. There was no use beating himself up over a text that wasn’t meant for him. He was just doing his job… Which was what again? Wasn’t his job to write a song? When did it become playing as a stand in? And he hadn’t even shown Luffy the damn song yet, even though he had successfully finished it. No wonder Sanji was so fed up with him.

  
“Torao! You sounded extra great today! I mean, you always sound great, but wow!” Chopper gushed, looking up from his textbook in excitement when Law turned his attention on him, “Was it for your friends?”

  
“Yeah, had to show those dicks that I’m not as pathetic as they think I am,” Lawls grin was strained.

  
Shachi stuck his tongue out at him, mid sentence with Franky.

  
Law flipped him his middle finger.

  
“Did you have a good first day back at school?” The young teen stared up at him, magnified eyes unblinking. The innocence that this 15 year old radiated was truly inspiring. He had so much hope. Law wondered how old he was when he had last felt such a thing. 

  
Despite his depressing inner monologue, his answer was honest, and surprisingly positive, “Yeah, I did. It’s nice to have acquaintances in all my classes. How was your science class today, Dr. Tony?”

  
Chopper beamed, clapping his hands together in excitement as he chattered, “Oh, it was so awesome! I’m lucky to have Mr. Crocus as my teacher, since I know his forte is biology. We’re starting with Physics first, which I’m not great at, but that just means we’re saving my two favourites for last! Gives me something to look forward to!”

  
Law’s heart ached. If Bepo was a human, he would probably get along well with Chopper. 

  
“Dr. Tony,” He mused, “What makes you want to be a doctor?”

  
Chopper blushed, ducking his head to stare at his textbook as he answered in a small voice, “I like helping people. I believe that a person is, well, who they are, based on the decisions they make. Like, bad people aren’t born bad, they just make bad choices, you know?”

  
Law nodded.

  
“So, I don’t think that illness should influence who you are as a person. Take someone who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 9, for example. That shouldn’t define who they are, and I believe that if I’m able to cure them, I can give them a second chance to be who they want to be, not just a name tagged on to an illness. I want to help people to get that second chance, to be their best self without a medical issue dragging them down,” The young teen frowned, “I think a lot of patients with really grave diseases become alienated from themselves, because everything becomes about how they are sick, and it’s no longer about who they are as a person – their dreams, their values, their personalities.”

  
He smiled up at Law, finishing, “I want to one day be able to cure _anything_ , so that no one ever has to wonder what they could have done had it not been for illness. I want to help people live their best possible life.”

  
“Huh,” Law murmured, pausing to digest the teen’s words. He sounded old beyond his years, and extremely passionate. 

  
Why did Law want to be a doctor, a surgeon? Because he supposed it was one of the subjects that didn’t bore him to death? Because he could see himself not hating it? 

  
“That’s awfully wise,” He sighed, fixing his eyes on the hands he had folded in his lap.

  
Chopper blushed, “Shut up! You’re crazy! Saying I’m wise doesn’t make me happy or anything! I’m only 15!”

  
Law took a long sip of his beer when the horribly accepted compliment was followed with, “Why do you want to be a doctor, Torao?”

  
He let his gaze rise from his tattoos to rest on Luffy, looking cheerful as always. He was rocking back and forth on his bottom, snickering as Zoro shouted at him for stealing one of his beers. He caught Law’s eye, his grin faltering for a single moment before he smiled even wider, making his eyes disappear into little slits. 

  
“You know, Dr. Tony,” Law smirked, “I don’t think I want to be a doctor, after all.”

  
His phone buzzed in his pocket then, ruining what, in Law’s opinion, had been a rather impactful moment of realization for himself.   
The moment was only ruined further when he read the most recent message.

  * 6:37pm – **doffy**  
 _Check came in. Come sign it._



  
Law closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. He knew this would come eventually. Luckily, he and Luffy had already decided on a date to go pick up a bunch of his clothes and guitar, but it wouldn’t be for another week. He decided to risk telling his uncle the truth, though he did not foresee it going well.

  * 6:40pm – **law**  
 _I’m staying at my friend’s a bit longer. I’ll be home on the 6th._



  * 6:42pm – **doffy**  
 _Not good enough. Come home now._



Well, yeah, that had been expected. His chest was tight as he gazed around the room, at Chopper reading his textbook next to him, at Nami and Vivi planning the school dance, at Usopp, Penguin, Shachi, and Franky making a plan to go lettuce shopping together on the weekend and then play some video games over at the mechanic’s, at Robin making googly eyes at Zoro, and Luffy… Luffy was watching him. Luffy was watching him watch everybody else, and when their eyes met, they grinned at the absurdity of the moment. 

  
So, he typed back something he thought he’d never say to his uncle.

  * 6:47pm – **law**  
 _No_.



  * 6:47pm – **doffy**  
 _Excuse me? You want to try again?_



  * 6:48pm – **law**  
 _No_. 



  * 6:48pm – **law**  
 _You don’t know where I am, and I am not a missing person as I am attending school. I know you don’t want to get the police involved. I’ll come sign the check, but you’ll have to wait until the 6th._



He let out a shuddering breath. It wasn’t great, but it would do. He was safe for now, and that was what was most important. 

Baby steps. 

  * 6:53pm – **doffy**  
 _I’ll get you back for this. I think it’s time we took a trip to the basement, my dear nephew._



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit, he's standing up to Doffy! Mingo ain't gonna like that.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Conflict really starts to pick up next week, I promise. 
> 
> HUGE SHOUT OUT TO [@BorealBones](https://mobile.twitter.com/borealbones?lang=en) for the UNREAL art of our favourite boys. Please check out his website [here.](https://borealbones.carrd.co/) <3
> 
> Next week: Sanji writes a song and Robin thinks they should record it... With or without Luffy.
> 
> Hope you have a great week! See you next Sunday <3


	18. For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji surprises Robin with an interesting opportunity. Zoro finds himself torn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday!  
> Hope you all had a great week and are ready for the conflict to thicken!
> 
> We've got some Paramore in the title for our darling Robin.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“ _Comment allez-vous ce soir? Je suis comme si comme ca,”_ Robin sang under her breath, snipping the stems of a particularly pretty batch of white roses along with the beat of the song that was playing over the store speakers, “ _Yes, a penguin taught me French back in Antarctica…”_

  
The Saturday evening shift at _Lily Carnation_ was easily Robin’s favourite, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn’t more than happy to take up Perona’s offer to switch her closing shifts during the week for the pinkette’s weekend closes. That being said, that didn’t mean she _didn’t_ hum and haw about it until her neighbour offered to give her the password to the store’s music playlist. 

  
Now, the shifts were even better.

  
Besides, it wasn’t like she was playing some hardcore post-metal that screamed of hailing Satan. She had simply added some Canadian rock bands to the mix, and some indie gems she had found… only some of which sang very sweetly about hailing Satan. 

  
She was moving gracefully throughout the store to the tune of _Our Retired Explorer_ by Winnipeg icons, The Weakerthans, ensuring that all soil was moist and the plants were free from any pestering insects, when the bell attached to the front door chimed.

  
“Ah, I was hoping my dear, beautiful Robin was working today!”

  
Robin spun around, frowning deeply and ready to lash out at whatever regular had sauntered in and believed that to be an appropriate way to greet a young woman working alone at her part time job. 

  
Thankfully, it was just Sanji, a navy blue checkered scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face and muffling his otherwise recognizable voice.

  
“I was about to kick your ass, you know,” She adjusted her threatening expression into a sweet smile, “What brings you to my humble flower shop, dear sir?”

  
Sanji tugged his scarf down, grinning in response to her words, “Perhaps the marimo can teach you some self-defence techniques for the weirdos who aren’t me. That way, he’d be good for _something_.”

  
Robin’s eyes darkened as she wiggled her brows, “Bold of you to assume I don’t already know how to pop your eyes out and sever your carotid artery with one blow to the jugular.” 

  
He choked on his laugh, “Damn, Robin. For such a stunning angel, you sure are terrifying.”

  
She gestured at her outfit – knee-high combat boots, nylons, a black pleated skirt, and a graphic tee with the phases of the moon printed on it – completed by her dangling constellation earrings peeking out beneath her raven hair, and smirked, “If that isn’t clear until I speak, then I suppose I’ll have to try harder.”

  
“Careful, I find ladies of all styles breathtaking. If you start wearing chains and leather, I may develop a new kink.”

  
Now inside the warmth of the shop (which was indeed heated significantly to help promote the steady growth of the tropical plants that were already positioned beneath heat lamps), Sanji undid his sherpa-lined denim jacket. Beneath it, he was wearing a golden yellow pinstriped button up with a thin black tie. The shirt popped nicely against his dark jeans. 

  
“You’re going to get in trouble one day, Sanji,” Robin shook her head with a good-natured sigh, “What brings you in here?”

  
He followed her to the counter in the center of the store, “I actually need some flowers, believe it or not.”

  
She hummed in surprise, “Who’s the lucky lady?”

  
“Her name is Zeff and she is one shitty old hag, that’s for sure.”

  
“Oh? I don’t recall there being any real flowers as décor at _The Baratie_ ,” Robin mused, tapping her fingers on the stainless steel counter, already considering different bouquet options.

  
She didn’t miss the flash of panic in Sanji’s visible blue eye, though his composure cracked for less than a second before he was waving his hand casually and explaining, “He felt the fake orchids at the host stand looked tacky.”

  
Robin narrowed her eyes, “So, can I expect to see you here on a weekly basis then? Since Zeff wants fresh flowers, and all.”

  
She had him there, and he knew it.

  
“…No,” He deflated, muttering, “Okay, you got me. They’re for… someone.”

  
“You don’t have to tell me anything, other than the type of bouquet you want,” Robin reassured, reading the hesitation and apparent fear across the blond’s face, “I won’t pry.”

  
He sighed heavily, as if he was exhaling all his concerns, “I appreciate that. You’re a good friend. And a beautiful one at that.”

  
Rolling her eyes, she smiled in understanding, “What colour theme did you want for your flowers?”

  
“Um, something bright, I guess,” He mumbled, “Like orange and yellow?” 

  
Nodding, she got to work, a sneaking suspicion worming its way into her mind.

  
Placing various flowers on the counter, she trimmed the stems and began to arrange them, thinking that it was odd that her friend was reluctant to share his romantic endeavours. That could only mean that he was actually serious about this. 

  
Sanji was always one to flirt brazenly with women, though never one to actively pursue one woman in particular. Not only that, but Robin was aware through chatter from Nami that the man often turned down invitations from female peers. The fact that he was blushing awkwardly in front of her while she put together flowers for, admittedly, a date – well, it was clear to her that he was most likely meeting a person of the same gender, someone they knew, or both. The handsome blond struck her as the type to brag about his successful love life, especially now that her and Zoro were official. They did always like to bicker about the most ridiculous things. 

  
There was definitely a reason for why he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it.

  
Now, Robin was no gossip, so it wasn’t like she was going to discuss her theories openly, nor was she going to pry anymore information out of Sanji. She respected her friend’s privacy, and knew that if it was important, he would tell them in due time. 

  
“So practice has been going well?” Sanji asked as Robin began to roll up his bouquet.

  
She kept her tone even as she responded, “It has been rather uneventful. You know that Law is perfectly capable for filling in while you’re at work.”

  
“Has he finished the damn song yet?”

  
“Not that I’m aware of,” Robin sighed, “It seems Luffy has gotten distracted again.”

  
Sanji opened his mouth to say something, before closing it and waving off whatever he was going to say. She rang him up at the cash register and he paid with his card. There was an awkward pause after she handed him his receipt. 

  
She waited patiently.

  
“I wrote a song,” Sanji sputtered, gaze darting down to the counter.

  
“Oh yeah?” 

  
“Yeah,” He was fiddling with the carton of cigarettes in his jacket pocket, other hand gripping the bouquet so tightly that Robin considered warning him that they stems weren’t unbreakable. 

  
“Is it any good?” She mused.

  
He shrugged, “I mean, it’s not trash, but it’s also pretty basic.” 

  
“Basic isn’t bad if it gets us into the Battle of the Bands,” She shot him a reassuring glance. 

  
“Are you free to practice tomorrow? We could learn it and send a live recording in with our application. The deadline is less than a month away, after all.”

  
Robin smiled, “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Do you have a moment? I can message the group now and see if our two favourite idiots are free.”

  
When Sanji agreed, she pulled out her phone, grateful that this Saturday evening was just as sleepy as the last.

  * 7:17pm – **archaeologist** _in **Straw Hat Pirates** _  
_Practice tomorrow?_



  * 7:19pm – **firstmate** _in **Straw Hat Pirates**_  
_👍_



  * 7:20pm – **captain** _in **Straw Hat Pirates**_  
_Nah im busy_



  
Robin flashed the screen towards her companion, and he frowned. He tilted his head to the side and mumbled, “Well, what if…”

  
“Yeah,” She murmured. 

  
“And the moss-head?” 

  
“I’ll talk to him tonight.”

  
“Okay, text me later? I’ll send you the little video of me playing the song,” He flashed her a grin that was clearly riddled with nerves, and she nodded in understanding. 

  
“Good luck on your date,” She mused in amusement, giggling when he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. 

  
She let her face fall into a neutral expression the moment that he was out the door, figuring that she might as well shoot her boyfriend a message while her phone was out.

  * 7:30pm – **robin**  
_Care to come over after my shift? I’ll pick you up._



  * 7:34pm – **zoro**  
_Can’t wait._



The end of her shift couldn’t come fast enough. 

  
Thankfully, a steady stream of customers made their way in throughout the evening, gathering last minute bouquets for their important people in their lives. It didn’t matter if it was a night out, a birthday, or an anniversary – people loved receiving flowers. Robin took pride in her job and her ability to craft a meaningful arrangement of creative flowers for all occasions, hoping that her work could put a smile on someone’s face. 

  
She had certainly beamed when Zoro had given her a bouquet, after all. 

  
Her van was freezing when she started the engine after closing up the shop. She shivered as she cranked the heat, blowing into her hands and rubbing them together before placing them on the frigid leather of the steering wheel. It was times like these when driving gloves seemed somewhat less dorky. Then again, she could probably get a cool purple pair, or something that would match her aesthetic. 

  
It startled Robin when a young woman around her age answered her knock on the door. She supposed it was unrealistic to assume that Zoro would be the one to yank the door open, though she hadn’t been expecting his sister. 

  
“Good evening, Kuina,” She smiled politely, “I’m here to pick up Zoro.”

  
Kuina smirked mischievously, lifting a hand to brush her navy blue bangs out of her narrowed eyes, “Hey Robin, where could my shithead brother possibly be going at 10pm when he works in the morning?”

  
“Sanji got off work early, so we figured we could squeeze in a late night practice,” She lied through her teeth.

  
“How does your neighbour feel about that?” Kuina’s grin was deepening.

  
Robin responded coolly, “Perona is staying at her girlfriend’s tonight.”

  
“Hmmm,” She tapped her fingers dramatically against her chin, “You guys got a new dress code for practice or somethin’?”

  
“Excuse me?”

  
“Just find it hard to believe that the green-haired idiot changed his clothes 3 times in the last 3 hours and stunk up the bathroom with cheap cologne for band practice,” She hummed, winking at Robin as she turned away to yell up the nearby stairs, “OI! DUMBASS! Your _girlfriend’s_ here!”

  
There was a yelp from somewhere upstairs, proceeded by a shout of, “Fuck _off_ , Kuina!”

  
Robin couldn’t help but giggle, her insides warming immediately as the boy she had grown so fond of clamored down the steps. He tripped on his own feet as he clumsily tugged on his boots, cheeks flushed pink as he grumbled, “I’m going out. Tell dad I _know_ I work tomorrow and I’ll be there bright and early.”

  
Eyes darting between her brother and his bandmate at the door, Kuina leaned over to poke his cheek as he slung on his pea coat, “Am I to tell him that you’re coming home tonight? Hmmm?”

  
He blushed violently as he shot Robin an apologetic look, “I might crash at the jam space. I might come home. I don’t know yet. Get off my back, won’t you?”

  
“Nah, I don’t think I will,” His sister snickered, slinging an arm around his shoulders in an awkward side hug as he tried to squirm away, “I’d be a pretty shit sibling if I let you just wander off on a Saturday night with a pretty girl. It’s pretty much my _job_ to scare away your suitors. All one of them. Honestly, it’s a shock that you could win over _Robin_. Does she know you peed in a Mountain Dew bottle in her van last year on the way to that one out of town gig?”

  
Robin supressed a chuckle as Zoro grimaced, “Kuina, you’re the worst.”

  
“I’m actually aware of the incident, and I’ve treasured that bottle ever since,” Robin chirped, interrupting their conversation and effectively startling Kuina enough to release her grasp on her brother. 

  
She wrinkled her nose in disgust, “Okay, maybe you two are made for each other.”

  
“It was good to see you, Kuina! Have a good night!” Robin chimed as Zoro exited the front door, shoulders hunched with irritation as his sister hollered one last obscenity at him.

  
“We’re sparring tomorrow! I’ll kick your ass, dipshit!”

  
He ignored her, instead turning to Robin as he slid into the passenger seat of the van, “You don’t actually have that bottle, do you?”

  
“Oh, goodness no,” She laughed, “Just thought it would be the easiest way to get you out of there.”

  
“You’re the weirdest genius I know,” He grinned, leaning across the middle console to kiss her before she started the engine. 

  
It was too brief, and Robin insisted on more the moment the door to her apartment closed behind them. 

  
Gently pushing him against the door, she curled her body into his chest, letting her fingers crawl into that spiky mint green hair as she kissed him deeply. He grinned into her advances, quick to squeeze her waist and pull her even closer as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. 

  
They held each other in the doorway, lips moving together in a passionate tango and refusing to break apart as they clumsily began to strip off jackets and boots. 

  
Unfortunately, pulling away was inevitable in order to hang their coats on the nearby rack, and place their shoes on the mat next to the door. It was so hard to be romantic and spontaneous in the middle of the Canadian winter. 

  
Once they were down to their indoor attire, Zoro clad in a simple maroon long-sleeve shirt that accentuated his impressive build and dark grey jeans, Robin made for the kitchen.

  
She was only two steps deep into her path when he grabbed her hips and spun her around, placing another hungry kiss on her lips. She giggled, cupping his face in her hands and slowly pulling away to ask, “Can I interest you in a beverage?”

  
“Can’t I just drink your kisses?” He teased, letting his hands wander south to squeeze her bottom.

  
She nuzzled into his neck to hide the blush that dusted her porcelain skin, “How cheesy.”

  
“Good thing you aren’t lactose intolerant,” He murmured, hands rubbing up and down her back.

  
“Okay,” She squirmed out of his grip, “These lines are only acceptable _after_ you’ve had a few drinks, you cornball.” 

  
She opened the fridge, tossing him a beer, and then made her way from the kitchen to her little sitting room, where Zoro had settled himself on the couch.

  
She loved her apartment – it was an indie plant mom’s paradise. Upon entering, a visitor was met with an antique coatrack next to a refurbished buffet where she kept her shoes and outdoor accessories. The entrance was connected to a small hallway leading to a petite bathroom, white geometric shower curtain and hanging plants that thrive in humidity providing lovely accents against the black tiles on the wall and floor. Her mirror had a vintage golden frame, matching the carved feet of her claw-foot tub. She considered that a nice, warm bath with a glass of wine and some flickering candles was overdue in the current outdoor climate. 

  
The other side of the entrance opened up to a large rectangular space, one corner sectioned off with a partial wall encasing the kitchen. She had set up her bed on the northern side of the wall, using some old, intricately carved wooden dividers to block off her little room from the sitting area, which had a quaint fireplace in a white decorative hearth, a shaggy rug, a pale pink beanbag chair, a couch, a wooden coffee table, and an assortment of blankets and throw pillows – all with dark colour schemes and atmospheric themes. The walls were covered with geometric prints in thin golden frames, flowing white curtains, and just… so many plants. Greenery as far as the eye could see. It made the air crisp and clean, despite the mildly uncomfortable heat in order to keep her babies alive throughout the winter. 

  
Opening a bottle of wine from the little rack she kept on her kitchen counter, she poured herself a glass before sauntering into her room and putting on some music. The moment the needle of her record player dipped into the curve of the vinyl of The Flaming Lips’ _Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots_ , she stepped over to Zoro on the couch, swaying her hips along with the music. 

  
“How was the dojo today?” She asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

  
He took a swig from his beer, slinging his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him, “Not too shabby. The intermediate students are coming along, but they’re getting too cocky. One of them seriously thought they could take me down today.”

  
“And?” 

  
“His mom complained about my ‘unorthodox teaching methods’ to Koushiro afterwards,” He smirked, “I told my dad I’d work his next two classes if he told her that she shouldn’t have raised such an arrogant ass, but of course he’s too nice to say that.”

  
“You’re one to talk,” She mused, cocking an eyebrow as she peered up at him through her eyelashes, “You’re far from the most _humble_ person I know.”

  
He huffed, “I’m just _confident_ , okay?”

  
She took a sip of her wine, enjoying the feeling of his fingers tracing absently up and down her arm. Sneaking a glance at his profiled as he drank from his bottle, she wondered how she had managed to get so lucky. Most university students would scoff at dating a High Schooler, but Zoro was only taking an optional year and was therefore 19 already, the same age as most first years, and a year younger than her. It was a perfectly appropriate age gap, despite the terminology making it sound far more taboo. 

  
The tarot card reading she had received from Perona months ago had hinted at an unexpected development within a relationship. Perona had guessed that she would find herself interested in Sabo, of all people, after they had run into him on campus the very next day, but Robin had been quick to shoot that potential development down. She would have been lying if she said she hadn’t been harbouring a small crush on her bandmate for the latter half of the last year.

  
They had been instant friends the moment Luffy had introduced them to each other, and nothing more than that. Then, something had changed somewhere down the line. She wasn’t sure if it was just gradual maturity or her increased value in close, trusting relationships, but she had been quick to notice familiar minty hair appearing in her dreams more often. 

  
She had been thrilled that her feelings had been reciprocated.

  
“You read anything good at work today?” He asked, placing a kiss on the top of her head as she snuggled closer to him.

  
Robin nodded, “Tovah Martin’s _Once Upon a Windowsill: A History of Indoor Plants_ is always a satisfying way to pass a slow shift.”

  
They finished their drinks, snuggled up on the couch and chatting about random things they had encountered during their day. Robin told Zoro about the gentleman who had come in looking for culinary lavender, and when she had directed him to the organic food store, he had insisted on buying the French lavender they carried. She giggled as she explained that he had most likely suffered some severe nausea later in the day. Zoro shared that he had once again lost to Kuina, who was on a rampage at the dojo after losing to him at their tournament in December. It seemed he had gotten awfully lucky when it had mattered most. 

  
“Do you want to watch a movie? I can boot up my laptop and we can lie in my bed?” She offered with a small smile, “We’re nearing our annual re-watch of _Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.”_

  
He shook his head, “We can’t do that without Luffy and… well, I guess we could without the shit-cook.”

  
She bopped his nose with her index finger, “You don’t have to keep up that front with me, you know. You guys are friends for a reason, even though you both like to pretend you hate each other.”

  
“He’s just so… ugh,” He scowled, lifting his unoccupied arm in a vague gesture.

  
“I think Sanji makes quite lovely company when he isn’t fawning over every woman in sight,” She shrugged, “Though, I must admit that he has definitely improved with that over the last year.” 

  
Zoro rolled his eyes, “I guess I miss having him around at practice.” The words sounded as if they were torn from his throat.

  
“He wrote a song, you know,” Robin mused, fingers twisting in the hem of his shirt.

  
“Oh yeah?” He grunted in surprise, “Didn’t know Curly had it in him.”

  
She nodded, “We’re going to learn it tomorrow, and send a recording off with our application.”

  
“I thought Luf is busy tomorrow?”

  
“He is.”

  
Zoro stiffened. 

  
She adjusted herself, pulling away from where she leaned against Zoro’s side to put a little bit of distance between them so that she could look at him directly. 

  
“The deadline is too close, Zoro,” She explained, her voice level and smooth, “We can’t afford to keep waiting for Law.”

  
“We can wait until next weekend,” He insisted, “Let Luffy know in advance.”

  
Robin shook her head, “You know how slow mail is around here. If we do it tomorrow, we can submit our application and stop worrying.”

  
“A lot can happen in a week though,” Zoro argued, “Maybe Law will be done by then.”

  
“And what if he isn’t? Do you think Luffy is going to take kindly to recording Sanji’s song in the first place? He seemed rather adamant that he wants Law to do this,” She fixed him with a patient gaze, fingers crossed in her lap and away from him. This was an important conversation, and she did not want to influence the direction of the result by affectionate touches. This was a chat between bandmates, and not between lovers.

  
His jaw clenched as he watched her warily, “We can’t go behind Luffy’s back. We can’t just do this without him.”

  
“Why not, though? We’re practicing without Sanji.”

  
“That’s different,” He grumbled, “This is _Luffy’s_ band. He’s our _Captain_.”

  
She blinked, hardly able to supress her startled gasp, “Excuse me?”

  
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” Zoro scoffed, “He started all of this with me years ago.”

  
“I didn’t realize I had signed up for a dictatorship,” She spoke coolly.

  
His body language screamed defensive. He crossed his arms, adjusting himself so that he was facing her. Squaring his shoulders, he sighed heavily, “You know this band is everything to him.”

  
“Is that to say that it’s not everything to us, as well?”

  
“I don’t mean that. It’s just… It’s _Luffy_.”

  
“So?” Robin maintained her calm, cool and collected demeanor as she debated, “As I mentioned before, we have all put a lot of time and effort into this band. I may be going to school for archaeology, but that doesn’t mean I don’t dream of one day travelling the world with my friends, playing shows every other night. If we can make that happen, then I’m going to ensure I am trying my hardest to make it a reality.”

  
Zoro deflated in on himself, the strong, chiseled features of his face conflicted.

  
“Look,” She spoke softly, “We’re in a less than ideal scenario here. We’re on the brink of collapse, and our future is looking rather grim if we don’t get into this Battle of the Bands. We need to do this to save the band, Zoro.”

  
“And what are we supposed to tell him when he finds out we did this without him, eh?” His words had a hard edge to them, fire raging in his steely eyes.

  
“We’ll simply have to cross that bridge when we get to it. Perhaps we will all go down in a slew of spontaneous curses one way or the other, but do you not believe that this is worth fighting for?”

  
He was silent for a moment, contemplating her argument. His shoulders hunched and his hands balled into fists, he looked her up and down, grey gaze fixing her to her spot on the couch as he stood. He made his way to the door of her apartment, grumbling, “Fine, what time tomorrow?”

  
She followed him to the entrance, “You’re done at the dojo at 5 tomorrow, yes? How about 5:30?”

  
He grunted in agreement, pulling on his boots and avoiding all eye contact.

  
“Did you not want to watch a movie?” She asked, dread running through her veins, as cold as ice.

  
He shook his head, shrugging his jacket on.

  
“Can I give you a lift home?”

  
“Nah, I’ll take the bus.”

  
There was a pit in her stomach that was zapping all of her happiness at an alarming rate. 

  
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” She whispered as he turned to open the door.

  
He paused to mumble, “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I think this is right,” before he disappeared down the stairs leading to the exterior of the building, without so much as a look over his shoulder, let alone a kiss goodbye.

  
Robin was left feeling entirely numb in the doorway of her apartment. 

  
She closed the door behind him, her hand shaking ever so slightly as she twisted the lock into place. Wandering listlessly to the kitchen, she grabbed the bottle of wine, bringing it over to where her glass sat on the coffee table and pouring an appropriate amount for the void inside her chest. She chose to sink into the beanbag chair by the electric fireplace, which she turned on, eager to feel something other than guilt. Warmth was a good place to start. 

  
It wasn’t as if she had been hoping to oppose Zoro on this matter. No, in fact, she had been foolishly hoping that he was harbouring the same worries in regards to the band. She should have known that Zoro wouldn’t want to do this without Luffy. It was a shock that he had even agreed in the end at all. 

  
She hoped he wasn’t doing this just for her. That would put him in such an uncomfortable position. 

  
Whipping out her phone, she was hardly conscious of her fingers typing out a message.

  * 11:31pm – **robin**  
_5:30 tomorrow. Let’s get this done and over with._



  * 11:33pm – **sanji**  
_How’d the marimo take it?_



  * 11:33pm – **robin**  
_Not well, but he’s willing to try it out._



  * 11:35pm – **sanji**   
_Sanji sent a video attachment._



  * 11:35pm – **sanji**  
_Let me know what you think._



She pressed the download button as she took a deep sip of her wine, tapping her fingers lightly against the glass. The song began to bloom from her phone, surrounding her in a haze of a pretty acoustic guitar and Sanji’s delicate vocals that she had become so accustomed to. 

  
He was sitting in his room, the bright yellow of the walls complimenting the sunny melody. He never looked up at the camera as he played, eyes fixed on the instrument in his hands. Every now and then, he would pause, explain how he imagined a part going, and then play the alternate guitar part he was envisioning. He seemed so wildly uncomfortable, filming such a personal project, which only reminded Robin why she had been unable to come up with ideas for songs. She didn’t like the idea of showing her heart to the world, whether it be a real of created narrative. People would interpret her lyrics as they pleased, and the concept made her want to disappear into herself.

  
It took a lot of courage to put the innermost working of your brain on display.

  
Unfortunately, though it was clear that Sanji was trying his best to put on a brave face, she knew it wasn’t going to be good enough. 

  
He sang of a ‘dream girl’, someone who lived next door who made his heart race and blood rush out of his nose. It was a cute song: definitely catchy, easy to follow, and would most certainly represent them as a fun, easy going pop-punk band. However, it lacked any real heart. Robin could tell that he had just written what he thought people wanted to hear, instead of what actually meant anything to him.

  
Yes, it was definitely good enough to get them accepted, but it was not good enough to win. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Is Zoro being unreasonable?
> 
> I picture Sanji in his shirt from the Water 7 arc, in case you were wondering.
> 
> AND YES, in this day and age, online applications are probably more likely, but PLOT'S GOTTA PLOT so we're just gonna pretend this Battle of the Bands relies on ancient snail mail for the applications.
> 
> I wonder what Luffy's up to, hmmm? Find out by clicking to the next chapter!


	19. All I Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy accompanies Law to grab his things from Doflamingo's, and things don't go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is a song by Brighter Brightest! I strongly recommend checking them out. They are good times. The chorus hits hard for this chapter - "All I know is that I can make things better for you. You're not your own, you've always got me."

“You ready?”

  
“Yeah, I mean, as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  
“It’ll all be okay.”

  
Luffy heard Law grumble his dissent, fingers fiddling with the keys in his jacket pocket. He stood on the icy sidewalk in front of his uncle’s house, Luffy at his side. They stared up at the mid-sized house at the end of the court, unassuming and utterly normal. The red brick did not speak of the abuse that Law had endured indoors, and the pale pink curtains that hung in the windows allowed plenty of hope to filter through the glass. Even standing steps from the carved stone stairs that led to the elevated cement porch, Luffy had to admit that it looked like every other house on the street. There was nothing inherently threatening about the building itself.

  
Any passerby would wonder why his company hesitated to enter the place he had previously considered home, why he was so damn scared.

  
“Okay, we just have to follow the plan. Slip in, pack a couple bags, sign a couple checks, slip out. It’s only 10am so he should still be sleeping and if we’re quiet, we won’t have to deal with…” Law rambled, eyes watering from the stinging winter air. He tugged his hands from his pockets, wringing them nervously as he took a deep breath in.

  
Luffy frowned. Law was thinking too much again.

  
Grabbing the hand closest to him, Luffy squeezed those pretty fingers gently, hoping that his presence would send a comforting warmth across his skin.

  
They could do this.

  
“Let’s go!” He grinned, zooming forward and dragging Law behind him up the steps.

  
Law only just managed to pull the other teen’s fist away from the door before he knocked obnoxiously.

  
“I said we need to be quiet!” He hissed, shouldering his way in front of Luffy to unlock the door.

  
“Right, right,” Luffy whispered, entering the house after Law and crouching down to untie his wet and snowy sneakers. 

  
Law stopped him, “We need to be quick. Leave your shoes on.”

  
They attempted to wipe off as much snow from the soles before tiptoeing up the nearby stairs, closer and closer to the muffled snoring from the room at the end of the second floor hall. The house was dark. The overcast sky emitted enough light to illuminate the space around the windows, yet was unable to brighten the majority of the house, casting them into gloomy shadows. If it weren’t for the tittering exhales – that terrifyingly resembled laughter – from Doflamingo’s room, Luffy would guess that he had yet to return from his late night career doing whatever he did. Law had told him that Penguin’s money was on drugs, Shachi was betting on rare animal trafficking, and Law… Well, Law was pretty sure that he ran an assassination service. 

  
Either way, he was a bad dude. 

  
Luffy didn’t like the idea of his friend being stuck with such an awful person for eight long years. There was a large part of him that wanted to simply kick down that looming white door at the end of the hall and beat up the man who had hurt his Torao, who had hit him and cut him and threatened him, but he knew that Law wanted to be stealthy. 

  
He bit the inside of his cheek. He would be quiet. For Law.

  
They reached a door that had yellow paint in the shape of a circular black smiley face on it, and Luffy followed Law into a dimly lit room that smelt of stale air that hadn’t been displaced in two weeks. He blinked, allowing his eyes to adjust as the other teen flicked on his desk lamp. 

  
The first thing he noticed were the various plaques fixed to the grey wall above the computer desk, glinting beneath a thin layer of dust. They were an assortment of academic awards that were given out at the end of every year, and Luffy could vaguely remember the lanky teen begrudgingly walking across the stage of their auditorium to shake Principal Sengoku’s hand. He had always stood out to Luffy as someone who looked thoroughly displeased with the praise he was receiving, scowling next to Nami and the other recipients.

  
His eyes glanced over the Photography award, the Philosophy award, the Junior Music award, and various plaques that bore the name of local scholars who donated grants to students each year. He felt a strange sense of pride that ballooned in his chest, and he couldn’t help but beam at the display of academic prowess before him. His friend was so smart! It was normal to be happy for him, wasn’t it?

  
Law kept the dark curtains drawn, stepping lightly around the scattered clothing articles on the floor to retrieve a black suitcase and a yellow duffel bag from the closet. He tossed Luffy a padded fabric guitar case, gesturing with urgency to the acoustic guitar in the corner of the room. 

  
Moving swiftly, he packed up the instrument by the desk, his eyes catching the familiar black cardstock of Law’s old notebook. He held it up, whispering, “Do you need this?”

  
Law looked up from where he was shoving the clothes from the floor into the duffel bag, regarding it with a guarded expression, “I would appreciate it if you handed that to me, Mr. Straw Hat.”

  
“Chill, I wasn’t going to look at it or anything,” Luffy rolled his eyes, tossing it to him. 

  
He watched as Law tore open the drawers of the dresser within the closet, filling the suitcase with clean clothes. He stuffed as many articles into the structured bag as possible, to the point that they were both cursing under their breath while trying to close the damned thing as the sides bulged away from the zipper. 

  
Eventually, Luffy simply crawled on top of the suitcase, forcing the teeth together while Law zipped it shut. He didn’t move from the suitcase, instead choosing to stare up at his friend as he gazed around the room with a pensive look on his face. His golden eyes looked darker in the dim lighting, and Luffy absently considered that he would still be handsome, even if his eyes were brown. 

  
That weird pang in his chest was back. It was happening far too often lately. 

  
“Okay, I got everything. Let’s go downstairs,” Law breathed, eyes flicking down to where Luffy was staring up at him from the top of the suitcase. 

  
Luffy blinked, giggling at his serious frown.

  
“What’s so damn funny?” He growled softly, reaching down to place a hand over Luffy’s eyes, obscuring his view with darkness.

  
He pouted, immediately wrenching those pretty fingers away from his face. He was greeted with an exasperated sigh as Luffy whined, “But I like looking at Torao’s face!”

  
Law stiffly tugged his hand away from Luffy’s, his tan cheeks dusted with a soft red hue as he turned away from the other teen to sling the yellow duffel bag over his shoulder. He grabbed the guitar before shooting a glare over his shoulder, “You coming?”

  
Suitcase in hand, Luffy pattered silently down the hallway, retracing their previous steps. The house seemed even quieter, if that was possible. There was this ominous aura that was pulsing behind the drywall, beneath the photo frames on the wall of the two blond men with the dark haired child. He paused for a moment to admire a picture of Law, roughly five years old, with a tall man who resembled the singer from the poster in Ace’s room. They were outside, by a pond, and Law was clutching a frog by the hind leg, looking utterly disenchanted with his new pet as Corazon laughed next to him. 

  
Luffy snickered at the adorable scene, though his laughter was immediately swallowed by the surrounding silence. _That_ was how overwhelming the grim pressure around them felt. 

  
Law gestured for him to follow him into the kitchen, and Luffy clumsily stumbled after him, arm knocking against a side table by the door way. It rattled against the wall. 

  
“Shush!” Law snarled, whipping around to place a finger to his lips.

  
“It’s not my fault my winter jacket is all puffy and bulky,” Luffy argued against the cool skin, tugging at the red fabric around his torso. 

  
They paused once they entered the kitchen to ensure that there were no signs of movement from upstairs. Once it was confirmed that Doflamingo must still be asleep, Law procured a glittery pink pen from a cup next to the fridge, where two checks in his name hung by a magnet on the appliance. Luffy watched as Law signed on the backside of the paper, noticing that the magnet was not unlike the smiley face on Law’s door, though this one had a black line crossing diagonally through it. He decided he liked Law’s smiley face better. It seemed happier. 

  
Luffy’s gaze washed over the copious amounts of alcohol sitting on the counter, in a variety of shapes and sizes. They stuck out like a sore, dislocated thumb among the otherwise tidy kitchen. As he began to wander after Law towards the entrance of the house, he noted that the furniture in the living space and dining room were decorated with fancy, designer fabrics, the floor covered in lush fur rugs. A gaudy chandelier hung above a polished table that seemed entirely too large for only 2 people, and large ashtrays dotted the surface between seats. Luffy was certain he could spy some white powder next to an empty beer bottle. 

  
The whole house had this mismatched aesthetic of the richest materialistic goods partnered with a thin layer of grime and garbage, as if no one had actually fully cleaned the place in a very long time. It confused Luffy. If Nami had a rug like that, she would insist on brushing it out and washing it on a weekly basis. 

  
They were nearly out the door when Law dropped the duffel and guitar by the front step with a sharp hiss, “Shit! I have to… I just need one more thing.”

  
“Can I come with?” 

  
“No,” He muttered, “You stay here.”

  
He followed after Law anyway. 

  
The steps to the basement creaked as they wandered into the inky blackness beneath the house. The same musty scent from Law’s bedroom rose around them as they stepped onto the concrete floor, though this time the smell was due to the moist, windowless space, instead of the absence of life for 2 weeks. 

  
A chill crawled up Luffy’s spine, the hairs along the back of his neck rising as Law fumbled along the wall, searching for the light switch. He attributed it to the familiar, damp cold of any basement.

  
Until the light flickered on and Law let out a strangled gasp. Luffy was startled to see a tall, blond, very intimidating man sitting on an amp surrounded by various instruments, one long leg crossed over the other. 

  
There Doflamingo was, in all his terrifying glory. From the pointed white leather loafers, to the eccentric patterned pants, to the flowing blouse unbuttoned over his chest beneath a massive feathered coat, he oozed a certain type of violent danger that clashed with his attire. The fact that he was wearing tinted glasses indoors added to his threat level, and the arrogance he exuded as he grinned menacingly at Law made Luffy growl defensively. 

  
He held a pale pink Fender Mustang that was covered in various stickers by the neck, letting it swing precariously in his grasp. 

  
“Good morning, _Law_ ,” Doflamingo drawled, “Looking for something?”

  
“H-How?” Law stuttered, his frame was so stiff that Luffy could have sworn a light breeze would knock him over. 

  
The man in front of them smirked casually, “Did you really think I wouldn’t hear your whispers? You _know_ the walls are thin, Law.”

  
He straightened up slowly, every movement drawn out and intimidating. He towered over the two teens, obscenely tall and blocking out the light that shone just behind his head, casting them in his creeping shadow. He let his pinky pull away from the neck of the guitar, holding the finger out in the air to dramatically display his loosening grip as he held the instrument as far from the ground as possible. 

  
Luffy was frozen to the spot. Who was this terrifying man and how had he zapped away all of his energy? Why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he take a step forward and just punch the asshole that had been tormenting Law for the last 8 years?

  
“Care to tell me what you were planning, my dear nephew?” Doflamingo mused, his low voice artificially sweet.

  
Law had regained control of his body, curling his hands into fists as he snarled, “None of your business, _Doffy_.”

  
His ring finger joined his pinky in the air. The guitar swung like a pendulum in his grasp. 

  
“Are you so sure about that?” He murmured, poison coating his tongue like honey.

  
Law shuddered, hissing, “I’m _done_. I’m leaving and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  
“Nothing?” Doflamingo raised a sculpted eyebrow, middle finger peeling away from the fretboard. 

  
“What are you going to do? Drop Cora’s guitar? That won’t break it, you know,” The teen snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Luffy could tell his indifference was feigned. His yellow eyes were fixed on the movements of the pink guitar, panic pulsing through the irises. 

  
Luffy frowned. This was Corazon’s guitar. These instruments were Law’s prized possessions. A single chip on the paint would hurt the teen, he was sure of it. 

  
“Oh, I know,” Doflamingo smirked, “Bold of you to call me out like that. Almost like you _want_ to watch me destroy my brother’s belongings.”

  
The air was so still, the tension bearing down on Luffy’s shoulder with overwhelming weight. He longed to reach out snatch the guitar out of those evil fingers, to beat this dickhead to the ground, grab Law’s hand, and run. But, he couldn’t move. Why couldn’t he move?!

  
“I’ll ask you again, Law,” Doflamingo’s voice was just above a whisper, his face twisted into a taunting sneer, “What were you planning?”

  
Law hesitated, swallowing loudly before muttering, “To run.”

  
His uncle grinned, “Good boy.”

  
Then, he dropped the Mustang, letting it bounce against the ground with a sickening _thwack!_ It fell against the concrete floor, the body rattling ever so slightly. 

  
Everything happened so fast. One moment, the guitar was falling, and Law was reaching out in desperation, and Doflamingo was laughing, and Luffy was standing there, dumbstruck and unable to move. 

  
The next, Law was scratching at the hand around his neck as his uncle held him away from the instrument, stomping on the neck with all the force he could muster. The polished wood creaked beneath his feet, splintering around the metal truss rod within the instrument. 

  
Law was screaming a strangled noise as he watched the strings go lax as the pressure released from the broken neck. Doflamingo was cackling a low, rolling laugh that grew in volume in intensity as his nephew struggled against his grasp. Luffy was just… standing there. What was he doing?! He had to _move_!

  
Gritting his teeth, he lunged forward. Latching himself onto Doflamingo’s outstretched arm, he bit down hard on the inside of the man’s elbow, causing him to hiss in surprise and recoil. Law fell to his knees as the grasp around his throat was relinquished, chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

  
Shaking him off, the man regarded Luffy with a glare that permeated the tinted shades upon his nose, sneering as if he had only just noticed his presence, “Care to introduce me to your friend, Law?” 

  
“Leave him alone!” Law coughed, pulling himself up from the floor, determination fighting fear on full display in those golden eyes. 

  
Desperate to keep Doflamingo’s attention away from Law, Luffy barked, “I’m Monkey D. Luffy and I’m gonna kick your ass!”

  
The man seemed wildly disinterested, sniffing at Luffy’s exclamation and sighing, “What do you expect me to do to this runt, Law? I can’t just let him go now, can I?” 

  
In the blink of an eye, Luffy was on his knees, both wrists held above his head in a strong hand. A foot was placed in between his drawn shoulder blades, applying the slightest bit of pressure, threatening to kick him across the concrete floor. He winced in discomfort. 

  
“Stop… Please… Don’t hurt him…” Law whimpered, such a vulnerable sound foreign to Luffy’s ears. He couldn’t see the other teen’s face, but he guessed he was showing some sort of distress, as Doflamingo began to snicker once more. 

  
“Oh? Is he special to you? Is this your little _boyfriend_ , Law?” 

  
He didn’t answer. 

  
The man seemed pleased with whatever expression the teen wore, chuckling lowly and thrusting his leg, sending Luffy skidding face first across the cold cement. He could feel the burn of torn skin as his tongue immediately licked at the cut on his lip, as if he wasn’t expecting the salty metallic tang of blood he knew he would taste. His nose hurt, but it wasn’t broken. If anything, he was just a little scuffed up. 

  
He pulled himself to his feet, surprised to see Law standing in front of him, guarding him.

  
“Leave him out of this, Doffy!” Law’s voice rang through the basement. He was standing with more confidence now, anger radiating off of him.

  
“Why should I?” Doflamingo mused, “You need to be punished, Law. Punished for running, for trying to trick me, for being a disgrace to my name.” He took a step closer to his nephew, towering over him. 

  
“How can I be a disgrace to your name if I never took it, asshole?!” Law spat, “If anything, _you’re_ the disgrace. _You’re_ the one who came to us for help! _You’re_ the one who was unemployed and broke!”

  
The man was silent as Law stalked forward, staring up into his face, unreadable beneath the tinted shades, and snarling, “Why should I listen to you when your pathetic ass just dragged Cora down and – _UNF!_ ”

  
A ringed fist slammed into Law’s cheek, packing so much force that it sent the teen stumbling backwards, clutching his face with his tattooed hands. He tripped over a stray microphone cord, landing against a bin labelled _Merchandise_. 

  
Luffy felt fury boil deep within him, and he let out a shout of rage as he careened forward, tackling the much larger man. He wrapped his arms around his waist, knocking him to the ground in front of a drum kit nestled in the corner. The air escaped the man’s lungs with a wheezing groan, and before he could recover, Luffy had already delivered a swift punch to his face. The slap of skin against cement was jarring, and the teen winced as he shot his arm back, ready to keep the man on the ground.

  
Unfortunately, Doflamingo had other plans. 

  
Despite Luffy’s weight on top of the fallen man, he managed to push himself up as if the younger man weighed but a feather. Lifting him by the neck, Luffy’s feet dangling off the ground and hands jerking uselessly at his sides, he slammed the teen against the nearest wall, shoving him headfirst into the drywall so hard that Luffy’s vision blacked out for a moment. 

  
All it took was 3 incredibly hard hits to the ribs and Luffy was sliding down the wall, collapsing in a heap on the floor. He hadn’t heard something snap, but that didn’t rule out a fracture. The pain lit his torso on fire. The sticky sensation of blood dripping down the side of his face was prevalent. He was definitely not okay.

  
Though, judging by Law’s horrified expression, tears dotting the corners of his golden eyes as he pleaded with his uncle to leave Luffy alone, the other teen was no better off.

  
“You little _shit_!” Doffy scowled at Luffy’s fallen form. His voice sounded distorted, distant almost, though that was possibly due to the volume of the blood pulsing through his body. It was all he could hear. 

  
It was as if his heart was plugged into the amplifier he laid next to, broadcasting the frantic organ fluttering in his chest. His head hurt so much. He was seeing double, as if Doflamingo had manifested a puppet of himself – one for Luffy, one for Law.

  
“I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Law cried, rushing forward to slide in front of Luffy once more. He placed his palms on Doflamingo’s chest and shoved him away, though it appeared it was 100% the man’s choice to leisurely take a few steps back. 

He chuckled maliciously, “Oh, my dear nephew. What a mess you’ve made.”

  
Swatting at the nearby drum kit, he sent the hi-hat toppling to the ground with a crash that reverberated through Luffy’s aching bones. The piece of the kit just barely missed Law, the teen jumping out of the way, the cymbals landing right in front of Luffy. 

  
“You see, the funny thing is,” Doflamingo’s laughter was building, “You’re not wrong. In fact, you don’t even _know_ how right you are!” 

  
He grabbed the floor tom, shoving his pointed shoe clean through the transparent skin with a single kick. Law shouted out in despair. It didn’t matter that the pieces could be repaired and replaced. The broken bits were some of the last things Corazon had touched. 

  
Luffy narrowed his eyes, desperately trying to focus as Law flung himself at his uncle, fist at the ready. As Doflamingo snickered through the teen’s blow to his face, as if it didn’t even hurt, Luffy flexed his fingers. _Focus. Think_. As much as he hated to admit it, his instinctive tactic of scrapping it out was not going to work. The man had them beat in size and strength. They were going to need to take a more strategic approach.

  
Doflamingo’s suffocating attention was on Law now. It was time for Luffy to get to work. 

  
“Where do you think I was on the night Rosinante died?” The man had grabbed Law by the collar of Sabo’s old maroon sweater that he wore beneath his black jacket. He leaned close to his nephew’s face, searching for the answer in those terrified eyes as Law lashed out, swinging his limbs in an attempt to hit any part of his uncle’s body.

  
“Now, now, Law,” There was that sickly sweet voice again, “Simmer down. You need to _listen_.” 

  
Luffy’s fingers fiddled with the clasp on the fallen hi-hat in front of him, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. 

  
Law’s chest heaved with heavy breaths as he glared daggers into the smirking face in front of him. 

  
“I was backstage with my brother, right? VIP treatment,” Doflamingo punctuated the end of his sentence with a sharp slap across Law’s face. The smack of flesh on flesh forced bile into Luffy’s throat, but he pushed it back down, refusing to gag and bring attention to himself. 

  
“We were having a drink, celebrating the new job I had landed earlier in the week,” The man patted Law’s cheek impatiently, prompting his nephew’s dazed gaze to focus back on him, “And that’s when he told me.”

  
Doflamingo hunched over, hissing right into Law’s face, fingers still curled in the wool of his sweater, “He had been helping me out by giving me half of his royalties. Had them made out in my name and everything. And then, just as we were toasting to me getting back on my feet, he explained that he was going to move my half of the incoming money into your name, _Trafalgar_ , to start saving up for your _future.”_

  
Law’s eyes were peering past him, lips trembling as he whispered a strangled, “…No…”

  
Luffy pried the clasp off of the cymbals, hissing from the effort of pushing himself upright. 

  
“Well, that wouldn’t do, would it?” Doflamingo chuckled, “Even if I didn’t _need_ that money, I had gotten used to a certain… lifestyle, you see. He couldn’t just take it away from me.”

  
“No… No, you’re lying… No…” Law had gone limp, barely being held upright by his uncle’s hand wrapped up in his sweater. His head drooped forward, raven locks obscuring his eyes, but not the tears that streamed down his cheeks.

  
“Security never thought to search Corazon’s beloved brother!” He sang, shaking Law with a flourish, “Why would they?!”

  
Stilling for a moment, he used his other hand to lift his nephew’s chin with his finger, ensuring that the teen was looking at him despite the unfocused glaze over his yellow irises. Doflamingo’s shades glinted as he huffed in irritation, “But the funny part, my dear Law, was that my clever, careful brother was not as clumsy as I had believed him to be. No, he had already made a will, as a _smart_ celebrity would do. He left all the royalties to _you._ To _Trafalgar_. To the rotten child who had refused to even take our family name.”

  
Luffy hated that he had to ready himself when the man raised his hand to Law’s face once more. There was a loud _smack!_ that resonated throughout the basement, covering up any other noise as Luffy carefully tugged the top cymbal off of the metal rod that held it in place.

  
Law didn’t even groan. He just stared into nothing, as if he was completely numb to he surroundings. His eyes were wide and unseeing, his breathing frantic and shallow. One of Doflamingo’s rings had sliced open the teen’s cheek, blood oozing from the shallow cut and dripping down his face. 

  
“And so, my plan backfired, and I was stuck with _you_ ,” Doflamingo snarled, “And you’re stuck with _me_ as long as you live, _Trafalgar Law_.”

  
It took all of Luffy’s strength to pull himself to his feet and lunge towards the looming bastard who held his Torao.

  
The sickening crunch that the cymbal made as it was slammed into Doflamingo’s temple was certain to haunt both of them for the foreseeable future.

  
Crumpling instantly, the man clad in the pink feathered coat fell to the floor. He folded in on himself as he hit the concrete, reaching the ground with a muffled _thud!_ A trail of bright red blood seeped out of a cut where Luffy had struck him. 

  
The cymbal clattered to the ground, making a hell of a lot of noise as Luffy rushed over to Law. 

  
He was seated with his legs tucked beneath him, still staring at nothing, tears flowing freely down his face. He wasn’t shaking as Luffy had expected. No, he was so still, it was almost hard to tell if he was even breathing.

  
Placing both his hands on Law’s shoulders, he gently shook the teen, muttering, “C’mon Torao! C’mon, we gotta go before he wakes up. Torao, snap out of it!”

  
“He… He killed Cora…” The words trickled out of Law’s mouth.

  
“Torao! We have to go!” Luffy cried, tears now threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes. 

  
Law stared past him, “…Cora… No…”

  
Luffy moved his hands to Law’s face, cupping the teen’s cheeks in his hands and pushing his forehead against his. “ _Law_!” He stated sternly, “Law, we need to go _now!”_

  
“L-Luffy?” His brow furrowed as his the haze over his eyes began to clear.

  
There was no time for this. 

  
Ignoring the shooting pain through his chest as he stood, he hauled Law’s lanky body over his shoulder and made for the stairs as quickly as possible. Despite the other teen being taller than him, Luffy found him rather light. At least, compared to Zoro. He just needed to get them out of the house and down the street and then a couple blocks and they’d be home. They could do this.

  
Law seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in once they reached the entrance of the house, frantically slapping his hand against Luffy’s back and grumbling protests to the undignified way he was being carried. They grabbed the acoustic guitar, yellow duffel bag and suitcase, and stumbled out into the cold winter air. 

  
Their injuries stung as the wind rushed against them, though the low temperature had a mild soothing effect to counter the burning fury that was coursing through their veins following what had happened. By the time they reached Luffy’s house, they were significantly less distressed. 

  
Injured? Very. Angry? Yes. Cognitive function relatively normal? You betcha. Thanks, winter.

  
As Luffy closed the door to his bedroom, there were three things for which he was immediately grateful:

  
1\. The soft white cloud that was Bepo showering them with kisses, though apparently sensing that they were injured and not rearing up on them.

  
2\. Garp had informed them over breakfast that he was going to _Totto Land_ to sort out the whole donut fiasco, and then to Principal Sengoku’s for some Sunday afternoon cigars, and would therefore be out of the house for the majority of the day. 

  
3\. Ace was off doing… something. Probably lighting a dumpster on fire for the hell of it. 

  
They were completely alone.

  
Law and Luffy collapsed on their respective beds instantly, silence enveloping them. It was simultaneously welcome, and heavy. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. The images of Doflamingo hurting Torao were playing on repeat in his mind. How could he get them to stop popping up whenever he closed his eyes? 

  
“Is he… is he dead?” Law whispered after a while.

  
Luffy turned his head to look at the teen on the mattress by the closet. He was staring at the ceiling, eyes tired and old beyond his years. His tattooed fingers were intertwined, resting on his chest as it rose steadily with every breath. The cut on his cheek was scabbed over with dried blood, and his face seemed red and raw from the beating he had taken. There were sure to be bruises. 

  
“I… don’t know,” Luffy admitted. He had only aimed for the temple as Zoro had taught him that a hit there could be very dangerous, and potentially fatal. He hadn’t known what else to do. He had to knock him out quickly, and it had been the only option he could think of. “I don’t think so. I hit him with the blunt surface of the cymbal, not the edge. He's probably okay. What do we do now? We should go to the police, shouldn’t we?” He asked.

  
Law shook his head, “It’s not worth getting them involved. Chances are he’s still alive and… I’ll keep signing the checks. I’ll tell him that I’ll keep giving him the money if he just… Leaves me alone for a while.”

  
“What do you mean it’s not worth it?” He frowned, “He killed your dad! He beat the shit out of us! He’s been abusing you for years!”

  
Lips pressed into a stiff line, gaze hardening, “And we’re potentially murderers. It’s just… _I’m_ not worth it, Mr. Straw Hat. This is just the hand I’ve been dealt. I’ll figure it out on my own.”

  
Luffy’s hands balled into fists at his sides. He fixed the other teen with a fiery glare, fueled with determination. It didn’t matter if Law was staring at the ceiling. He needed him to understand just how angry he was at the awful man who had caused Torao so much harm, to the point where he no longer valued himself as someone worthy of being alive.

  
“Torao,” He spoke lowly, “I promise you, he will never hurt you again. No one will ever hurt you again. I _promise_.”

  
Golden eyes washed over him, flickering with a doubt that made Luffy’s heart fall into his stomach. They narrowed in concern as they stared at his busted lip. “We should get cleaned up,” Law murmured, “Stitch up that lip of yours, check your ribs for breaks.” 

  
He nodded, dragging himself up off the bed in slow motion. Law followed as they made for the bathroom. 

  
The cool tiled floor was calling to him, though Law insisted that he sit on the counter while he cleaned his lip. Luffy distracted himself by watching his friend’s face while the latter stitched up the cut, using a first aid kit that Ace and Sabo had procured during their high school years. 

  
Law’s gaze was diligently focused as his fingers deftly wove the torn flesh back together. His lips were pressed in a tight line, his jaw clenched and brow slightly furrowed with concentration. Occasionally, a flash of inked fingers would obscure Luffy’s uninterrupted view of the young man in front of him, which only added to the beautiful portrait of Trafalgar Law that Luffy was inspecting. The dried blood smeared across Law’s cheek reminded him that he needed care as well. Would he let Luffy wash out his cut? Would he let him stare at him as intensely as he was now?

  
His heart was hurting, aching. His breath caught in his throat and he found it hard to breath. His chest felt broken. Something was wrong. There was an uncomfortable sensation blooming beneath his skin. 

  
Gesturing to his upper body, Luffy winced.

  
Law’s hands reached out for Luffy’s chest, hesitating an inch away. He frowned, lifting his gaze to peer warily into the other teen’s confused eyes. “May I examine your injuries, Mr. Straw Hat?” He murmured. 

  
Luffy nodded, finding himself unable to look away from those mesmerizing topaz eyes.

  
With a careful movement, tattooed fingers lifted his blue t-shirt up to his armpits. Luffy held the fabric in place as Law hissed at the sight. 

  
“Is it bad?” Luffy breathed.

  
“Depends,” Law muttered, cool fingers grazed the warm skin that stretched over his ribs, “There’s mild swelling, and the bruising will not be pleasant. Does it hurt when I touch?” 

  
He ran his digits up and down both sides of his ribs, applying light pressure. The whole time, Law’s gaze was fixed on his patient’s chest, focused. Luffy wished he would look at him again. He was nearly leaning into his touch. Torao was so kind. Torao fingers were so cold and Luffy was feeling so warm. His cheeks were burning. What if he were to push his face against Law’s? Would it be as pleasantly cool?

  
“Luffy?” 

  
He shook his head, “It’s a little uncomfortable, but it doesn’t _hurt_ hurt.” 

  
Law nodded curtly, “Any trouble breathing?”

  
Luffy shook his head.

  
“Cough for me, please. And then laugh.”

  
Luffy followed his instructions. He noticed how Law’s eyes immediately lit up, darting to his smile as Luffy snickered. 

  
“Any pain?”

  
“Nope.”

  
“Then, I think you’re okay. You’ll probably just be sore for a bit. And we’re both going to be sporting some pretty unflattering bruises for a while.” Law spoke seriously, as if he was diagnosing a patient. He had a soothing, reassuring voice that oozed a certain authority. Luffy considered that Law would definitely make a good doctor if that was indeed what he wanted to do.

  
His heart hurt again. Something about that just didn’t feel _right._

  
Law’s hands were still on his chest.

  
That _did_ feel right.

  
They both seemed to notice this at the same time, Law jerking his hands back in a flustered movement and causing Luffy to lose his balance momentarily. He had been leaning in to the touch, sliding off the counter as his support suddenly vanished. 

  
They stood toe to toe, very little distance between them. He could hear Law’s heart racing, mirroring his own. Law’s eyes stared past Luffy, panicked, and Luffy was fumbling for the right words. He didn’t need to apologize. Why would he need to apologize? Law was the one who had his hands on him, and even then, Luffy had liked it. Law didn’t need to apologize either. Why was there so much tension around them?

  
Burning hot. The bathroom was sweltering. Luffy felt as if he was going to explode. 

  
“I’m going back to the room!” Luffy squeaked at the same time that Law stuttered, “I-I’m going to clean up my cheek!”

  
He closed the door behind him as he marched over to flop next to Bepo on the bed. The dog let out a soft whine and laid his muzzle on Luffy’s stomach. It growled. He could go for some food. Something meat-based, preferably.

  
What was going on with him? 

  
Ever since Law stepped into his life, Luffy had started feeling _different_. He craved the other teen’s attention, gravitated towards him. He wanted Law to be a part of his daily life the instant he had agreed to work with the band. He could babble about nothing to him for ages and never get bored. Torao’s face itself was just so… so interesting. He liked the way those unique eyes were so expressive, yet only for him. He liked the way Law’s hand felt in his, how it always seemed so special despite Luffy often holding onto his friend’s hands. It had felt so right, curled around his back, chin hooked over his shoulder at the Christmas party, like that was where he was meant to be. 

  
And then there was this heat. This warmth that would build inside him anytime he was in close proximity with him. It started in his chest, flowing upwards to his face, his ears, before coiling below his stomach, in his abdomen, and making him feel… weird. Whenever he felt that sensation, he longed to do _something_ , but he wasn’t sure what. He just wanted to be close to Torao, to touch him, to feel his skin and see his tattoos and place his palm over the other teen’s heart and tell him that he would always be there and…

  
Did he _like_ Law?

  
The door opened and Law walked in, face set into an expression of determined resolve that distracted from the gauze taped to his cheek. 

  
Before Luffy could ask him what was wrong, the other teen grabbed the guitar case they had brought from his uncle’s, retrieving the instrument within and tuning it swiftly.

  
“I’m going to show you the song I wrote,” He explained matter-o-factly. His eyes glinted with a mix of fear and resolution, his jaw clenched. 

  
Sitting down next to Luffy on the bed, Bepo scooching over to occupy the pillow instead, Law began to play the familiar song they had been practicing for the last few months, his fingers flying across the fretboard as the catchy, upbeat guitar riff filled the room.

  
Then he started to sing.

  
Luffy watched, stunned as Law showed him the vocals he had come up with. He didn’t even care about the lyrics, he was simply so entranced by the melody that carried his smooth tenor through his eardrums and into his brain. 

  
It wasn’t like Luffy was unfamiliar with the concept of crushes and love and sexuality. No, he had heard enough conversations between the boys, and Nami and Vivi for that matter, that he had a pretty good understanding about how teens his age were expected to feel regarding their peers. He was fully aware that there was a different type of affection that could manifest for a particular person, or multiple people, that was different than the friendship he had with his friends. He had paid close attention to the Sex-Ed class in Physical Education, and asked plenty of questions, regardless of whether Mr. Morgan felt comfortable answering them. 

  
Luffy had simply never felt anything other than friendship for the people around him. He never put much thought into it, never bothered labeling himself despite Nami badgering him about whether he _liked_ anyone. He just didn’t, and eventually his friends stopped asking.

  
And then Law came along and things started to change.

  
He watched as the tan, handsome young man in front of him crooned the chorus he had written, wrapping Luffy up in the uplifting message. A feeling akin to pride began to swell in his chest, began to itch at his fingers. He was so unbelievably happy, listening to Law play and sing something he had created from his heart. He longed to reach out and feel the texture of the dark hair that flopped across the teen’s forehead. Was it coarse, like his own? Or was it soft? It looked oddly fluffy. 

  
The warmth was back the moment Law sang the last lines, letting the final chord ring out as he lifted his golden eyes to peer at Luffy, expectant and anxious. His irises glimmered, and Luffy could tell just by looking at the nervous twitch of his fingers as he placed the guitar off to the side, by the way he grit his teeth ever so slightly, that he had truly bared his heart and soul. 

  
“What do you think?” Law whispered, resting his elbows on his cross-legged knees and twiddling his thumbs.

  
Sabo’s sweater hung away from his neck as he hunched forward, revealing that little hint of a tattoo across his collarbones. Luffy eyed the inked skin hungrily, and had to stop himself from licking his lips as he caught a whiff of the intoxicating scent that he associated with Law, with the heated pressure burning below his stomach.

  
Torao was beautiful.

  
Torao was smart.

  
Torao was so talented.

  
Yeah, Luffy _did like_ Law.

  
And Law was watching him with these curious eyes that were slowly getting closer and closer, his pupils dilating as one of his hands reached out to rest on Luffy’s knee. 

  
How interesting. Did Torao like him too?

  
“It’s perfect,” Luffy breathed, finding himself leaning in towards the musician, eager to… hug him… or grab his hand… or… or…

  
Their noses brushed together, breath mixing in the small space between them. It was not unlike the strange moment they had shared on Christmas, before Luffy had panicked and ran off to find Ace because he didn’t understand what was happening. 

  
Though, now Luffy did understand what was happening.

  
And… he wanted it. He wanted it so badly. 

  
“Luffy…” Law breathed, his eyes searching Luffy’s as their foreheads bumped together.

  
“Yeah,” Was all he managed to say before he was pressing his lips against Law’s. 

  
It was the strangest sensation. The moment that his lips met Torao’s, the other teen’s head tilting ever so slightly so that they fit together perfectly, Luffy thought something had exploded in his stomach. Everything felt tingly and he wanted to laugh so loud that the heavens would hear his giddy giggle. He felt so warm, the heat seeping to his cheeks as he _kissed Torao!_

  
Then, as soon as it had started, it was over, both of them pulling away at the same time, faces flushed bright pink and eyes darting anywhere other than the person in front of them. 

  
“Um…” Luffy started, hand lifting to touch his lips, already missing the absence of Law’s, “That was neat.”

  
Law smirked, any worry in his eyes melting away as he chuckled, “Yeah. Neat’s a good way to put it, Mr. Straw Hat.”

  
Then, the front door slammed shut and Garp was hollering up the stairs about how he had brought dinner home.

  
What an eventful day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW, I CONTINUE TO BE A MONSTER! (More so than Doflamingo?)  
> All that hype for a tiny little kiss??? Trust me, their moment is still coming. 
> 
> The song that Law has written DOES have lyrics. Now is not the time to reveal them muahaha.
> 
> Next week: Luffy wants to record the band playing Law's song for their application. There's only one problem... They've already been accepted into the battle. 
> 
> HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE UPDATE! <3  
> As always, huge thank you to [hireath_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan) for keeping me sane and her endless support and feedback. Please check out her stories!  
> And come say hi to me on [tumblr.](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com) :)


	20. Backing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when your frontman finds out that you and the rest of the band went behind his back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE MID WEEK UPDATE!  
> Honestly, I was a) too excited to post this chapter and b) hated that the chapter count was 19/35 because I just needed to round it up, and I'm decently ahead in the story, so screw it, right?
> 
> The title is a song by The Elwins! They're a Canadian group and their album Play For Keeps is fantastic. Check it out!
> 
> Enjoy <3

“Oh my god, Franky, did they change the beer or something? I don’t remember _Laboon Blue_ tasting _this_ good.”

  
“Nah, you just haven’t been here in time, man!”

  
“It’s only been, like, three weeks.”

  
“That’s a lifetime, bro. Cheap beer tastes extra good if you haven’t had it in a while.”

  
“I had assumed the opposite would make it more palatable,” Sanji mused, kicking his feet up onto the battered coffee table in front of the couch on which he lounged, “You know, like you get used to the watery taste?”

  
Next to him, Franky shook his head, his blue locks wagging with the motion, “Trust me, little dude, that just makes it more refreshing.” He clinked his bottle against Sanji’s before taking a swig. 

  
Robin looked up from where she was reading at the high-top table. “As refreshing as liver disease,” She mused, sipping from her water bottle. 

  
“My dear Robin! If anyone is getting liver disease, it’s your stinky moss-head,” Sanji pouted.

  
“I’m not disagreeing with you,” She shrugged, “Just reminding our landlord that moderation is important.” She winked at the burly mechanic, who frowned at the beer in his hand.

  
“Yeah, someone has to,” He sighed before shooting a glance at the clock on the nearby VCR, “The rest of the squad should be here soon.”

  
“It’ll feel good to play together again,” Robin smiled at Sanji, “Zeff was really okay with you taking the night off?”

  
He nodded, “The shitty geezer said I earned it, or some crap like that.”

  
In reality, he was sure his father was simply concerned about his lack of socialization over the last couple of weeks. With no gigs booked for the weekends, and most of the crew working while Sanji was free, he had been spending even his days off at the restaurant, eager to learn a craft he enjoyed instead of sitting around, bored. 

  
When Zeff had given him a Friday night off, the first thing he had done was message the band and arranged a practice. As it was now days away from the deadline to apply for the Battle of the Bands and he supposed it was a good opportunity to show Luffy the song he had written it, and then pretend to record it and send of an application, despite already having done so weeks ago. 

  
As if his phone read his mind, an email lit up his screen.

  
“Holy shit,” He breathed, skimming the text in front of him.

  
Robin hummed in interest, while Franky cocked an eyebrow. 

  
“We got into the Battle of the Bands.”

  
“That’s SUPER!” Franky hollered, a large hand patting Sanji’s shoulder with a bit too much force.

  
Robin, on the other hand, frowned, “I’m surprised we heard already. Applications are still open.”

  
“Maybe they really liked us?” Sanji shrugged, “Or they have plenty of space left?”

  
“This is wonderful, but…” She trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the door.

  
“Yeah,” He muttered.

  
“Do we stick with Plan A or come up with a Plan B?”

  
“I mean, as long as he doesn’t insist on submitting the application himself, we should be fine,” Sanji shrugged, though the concerned expression on his face said otherwise, “We can just fake the whole thing.”

  
“And if he does want to do it himself?”

  
“Just my opinion, dudes, but you might just want to be honest,” Franky piped up, “The more complicated the lies get, the harder it will be to keep them consistent.”

  
Sanji grimaced, “You’re not wrong, it’s just… He’s not going to be happy about this.”

  
The mechanic stood and stretched, “Yow! Maybe it was the best choice given the situation. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Luf will be mad, and maybe he won’t. Only one way to find out.”

  
He headed to the door with a wave, “I’ve got a client. Good luck, you dudes.”

  
Sanji groaned, “You’re just bailing on us like that?”

  
“It’s my job to bring the party, Sanji bro,” Franky chortled as he exited the room, “Not kill it!”

  
“Ugh, stupid oil-head,” He grumbled, thumbing a cigarette out of the carton and placing it between his lips, “Sweet Robin, do you mind if I smoke in here? If not, I can go outside. I don’t want to tarnish your perfect lungs with such harsh smoke.”

  
She didn’t look up from her book, “I don’t mind, as long as you tell me about your date while you do so. We probably don’t have much time before the others get here.”

  
Sanji coughed on the first drag, “My _what?”_

  
“Don’t play dumb. You didn’t deny it weeks ago,” She wiggled her eyebrows as she slowly turned the page of the textbook before her.

  
“It was good, thank you.”

  
“Is that so?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“And that’s all you’re willing to share?” Robin had finally turned her analytical eyes away from the busy paper to gaze at him curiously.  
He let his head fall back against the cushions of the couch, smoke spewing from between his hips as he let out a long sigh. Blue eyes fluttering closed, he thought back to the snowy Saturday night earlier in the month.

  
Ace’s confident grin had immediately blinded him as he had opened the apartment door, sweaty palms slipping on the doorknob in nervous anticipation. He had completely surprised Sanji, who had expected him to show up in his usual (very cute) attire of a hoodie and shorts, by sauntering in clad in a fitted black button up rolled up to his elbows and jeans that actually covered the entirety of his legs. With his shaggy hair shining in the soft yellow light of the hall, framing his enthusiastic freckled face perfectly, Sanji had thought he looked… Was beautiful an appropriate word? 

  
Yeah.

  
He had looked beautiful. 

  
And then he had ruined it like the little shit that he is by stepping forward and wrapping Sanji up in an awkward bro hug. 

  
The dreaded bro hug.

  
So, he _had_ noticed how _weird_ Sanji had acted the day of the Halloween dance, after all. He had simply chosen to ignore it _until their first date._

  
“Dick,” Sanji had grumbled into his ear as Ace thumped his back with his palm.

  
He had chuckled, “I have one, yes, but I didn’t realize we were moving so fast.”

  
And then he had poked Sanji’s brilliantly red cheek with his index finger before slipping his shoes off and wandering into the kitchen, claiming that he was starving and leaving his host stunned in the doorway. 

  
“Aw! You got me flowers!?” He had hollered from the other room, “Damn, and I thought my engagement ring would scare you off.”

  
“Ace, I swear to god…” Sanji had pulled himself together to stomp into the kitchen, ready to respond with some sort of snarky remark.

  
Though, his words had died in his throat when he saw the man leaning over the counter, face buried in the bouquet of flowers in the center, placed in a simple glass vase. His eyes had shone with delight as he sniffed at the large sunflower surrounded by orange cosmos. “How did you know sunflowers are my favourite?” He had asked, his lips twitched up in a breath taking smile. 

  
Sanji had shrugged, “I didn’t. Why is that?”

  
A rare blush had dusted Ace’s cheeks as he took a seat at the counter, “They remind me of Luf, I guess. He’s just so…”

  
“Sunny, summery, golden,” Sanji had smirked, “Makes sense. I’m glad I did well, even if it was for an idiot like you.”

  
“No one has ever gotten an idiot like me flowers,” He had murmured, and Sanji was aware of how intensely the man was watching him as he prepared their dinner, “It’s really nice of you. Thank you.”

  
Shooting those dark eyes a raised eyebrow, Sanji had teased, “What? Never been on a date before?”

  
There was a nervous flash across Ace’s freckled face, and he had folded his arms on the counter in front of him, diverting his glance to his hands, “I’m more of a late night visit, leave before morning kind of guy.”

  
“Oh,” Sanji had frowned, trying his best to keep his voice level as he joked, “Didn’t realize you consider 8pm late night.”

  
He had faked a yawn, resting his chin on his hands, “You fail to understand that I fall asleep at all times. It’s always late night.”

  
“Will a bit of wine keep you awake?”

  
“I’ll never turn down a drink from someone so handsome.”

  
Sanji had cursed the other man’s ability to render him speechless, a nervous wreck that was attempting to uncork a fancy bottle of wine Zeff had gifted him for this occasion with shaking hands. They had clinked their glasses together and taken a deep sip as Sanji had put the finishing touches on the braised lamb shanks and rosemary gnocchi he had prepared. 

  
They had fallen into easy conversation while they ate, Ace finishing his plate with speed to rival Luffy’s. It wasn’t as if Sanji hadn’t expected it. In fact, he had made enough to give the other man three whole portions, and it was no surprise that all food wound up being eaten. They had finished the bottle of wine as well, as it had paired nicely with the lamb, a deep, full bodied cabernet sauvignon that opened up the palate and accentuated the earthiness of the meat and the herbal twang of the rosemary. 

  
“Sanji,” Ace had groaned, patting his stomach as they sipped at their last glass of wine, “How are you not a famous chef already? That was seriously the best meal I’ve ever had.”

  
Sanji had snorted, “Celebrity chefs spend more time pretending than actually cooking. Not to mention that sometimes the recipes they share online are so flawed it’s not even funny.”

  
“So, you don’t want your own TV show or anything?”

  
“No way,” Sanji shook his head, “If I can only cook for the elite class, then my food won’t be accessible to those who I actually want to treat to a good meal, you know? I never want to work somewhere that guests don’t finish their meals because they could have a personal chef whip up a snack when they get home. When I run my own place, it will be the best ingredients, the best meals, and it will be _affordable._ I don’t ever want to be one of those places that fills a landfill with wasted food, and I want to take any leftovers I have from a night and help those in need.”

  
Ace had smiled at him fondly, something sparkling in his dark eyes, “I _guess_ you don’t need to get famous and make a ton of money. When I’m a Firefighter Captain, we’ll be rolling in dough, literally and figuratively.”

  
“Oh?” Sanji had laughed, “You’ve planned our lives out, have you?”

  
“I told you, I thought my engagement ring would scare you off, but you bought flowers so…” He had winked, “We’ll stay here in Sabaody and run the best little restaurant and concert hall next to the Firehouse. You can prepare a buffet lunch every day for the fighters, and we’ll provide security for the nights that your band plays a show. We’ll get Gramps to watch the kids on those nights, though. I don’t wanna miss out on my husband shredding the guitar.”

  
Sanji had leaned forward to lightly punch the other man’s arm across the counter, “You’re lucky I’m not running out of my own apartment screaming right now.”

  
Ace had shrugged, “I know it’s just a joke and all, but it sounds kind of nice, doesn’t it?”

  
“Such a shame that you’re not one to date,” He had chuckled nervously. 

  
“Gotta keep ‘em guessing, you know?”

  
Ace had helped him with the dishes, insisting that he felt uncomfortable just watching Sanji do all the work. They had talked a bit about their childhoods, how they had differed with or without siblings. Ace had asked him if he’d be willing to roast an entire pig from the meat shop down the street from his house for Luffy’s birthday in May. Sanji had agreed as long as Ace themed the backyard like a Hawaiian Luau. 

  
“Well, how did you think tonight went?” He had caught Sanji off guard as he was wrapping up the vase and flowers in newspaper so that the other man could take them home with ease.

  
“Uh, I mean, I thought it was nice,” Sanji had muttered, fingers twitching as he tried to tape the protective paper over the cosmos, “What did you think?”

  
His hand had darted out to gently tug his away from the flowers, “It wasn’t so bad. I could get used to this date thing.”

  
Sanji had looked up at his touch to see that Ace had walked around the counter to his side, gazing at him with unbridled interest and thinly veiled longing. His fingers had been warm as they had twined into his, and Sanji did not flinch as Ace stepped a little closer.

  
“I can think of something that would make it even better, though,” He had grinned, “If you would be okay with that?”

  
It had taken Sanji everything he had to nod as Ace had placed his free hand on his hip, gently tugging him closer as he leaned in, head tilting to the side as his dark eyes fluttered closed. Mimicking the movement, Sanji had felt his heart hammering against his chest as the gap between them closed, as the other man’s breath had ghosted across his lips before they met. 

  
Ace’s kiss had been uncharacteristically soft, timid almost, as if he was taking Sanji’s lack of experience into consideration. He had expected the other man to kiss like he spoke, like he laughed, like he ate – all rugged confidence and hearty urgency – and yet he had been pleasantly surprised by the slow, patient movements of the freckled man’s mildly chapped lips. 

  
He had found himself falling into Ace’s warm embrace, the hand that wasn’t entwined in strong fingers reaching out to drape across broad shoulders as he followed his instincts and pushed the kiss deeper. He explored the foreign territory that was presented to him, tasting hints of rosemary and the tart fruits of the wine as he had pressed their bodies together. Infatuated by the scent of some sort of sporty body spray, mixed with an outdoorsy musk and a subtle hint of something that reminded Sanji of sunshine and dandelions, he had kissed with increase fervor, clutching the dark linen of his button up because he just _couldn’t get close enough._

  
There was no space between them, fabric touching fabric, and yet Sanji had wanted _more._

  
Until he had realized that he was standing in his kitchen, making out with _Luffy’s older brother,_ and the reality of the situation had startled him into pulling away.

  
Ace had let his hand fall, stepping away to give him some space. He had watched his face carefully, knowingly, the empathy radiating from his patient smile and dark eyes encouraging Sanji to speak his mind.

  
Sanji had lifted his fingers to his lips as he blinked at the man in front of him, “I just… I just kissed a man.”

  
“And? You want to talk about it?”

  
“It was… Wow.” He had breathed, a soft laugh bubbling to his lips, “It felt _good._ It felt _right.”_

  
Ace’s eyes had lit up, and he beamed as he closed the distance between them once more, peppering his face with kisses as if marking him with his own freckles, murmuring, “So I can keep doing this then?”

  
Protesting playfully, Sanji had pushed him away, scoffing, “Ugh, stop, you’re getting my face all wet.”

  
Making their way to the front door, Ace had slipped on his shoes, shrugging on the thin orange windbreaker he had brought despite the sub-zero January cold outside. “So, Swirly,” The young adult had shot him some finger guns, “Can we do this again sometime?”

  
“That depends, you shitty Fireball,” Sanji had leaned against the wall as he prepared for the warm, confident presence to walk out that door and leave him to stew in the memories of all that had happened, “Is that going to be at 2am and you’ll be gone before breakfast?”

  
He had faltered, face turning pink as he muttered, “You’re different, Sanji.”

  
“Hmmm?”

  
“I don’t usually date because I haven’t met anyone I like enough to, well, bother, you know? Dating is effort and if you don’t think it’s worth it, then obviously you don’t like that person enough,” He had fiddled with the zipper of his jacket, “But you’re my brother’s friend and you’re cute and I… I mean, I’ve always kinda liked you. I just… I didn’t think you were an option.”

  
Sanji’s jaw had fallen to the ground.

  
“And then, you started acting weird around me. Like, weirder than someone who hasn’t seen the other person for a while would typically act. And you were receptive to me flirting with you. And I started to think… Maybe he is an option,” He had shrugged, beaming widely at him, though his smile did not quite meet his eyes, “So, I would like to keep seeing you, if you would feel comfortable with that.”

  
Heart pounding against his ribs, Sanji had stared at the attractive man before him.

  
He had asked him out. He wanted to keep seeing him. 

  
And what had he said? Panicking, he had sputtered, “Can… Um, can I think about it?”

  
Ace had looked the slightest bit disappointed, nodding slowly, “Of course. There’s no pressure at all. I know this is all new. Take your time.”

  
Then, he had stepped forward and wrapped him up in a tight hug, hand running up and down Sanji’s spine in such a comforting embrace that he was prepared to melt right into the other man. What was he doing? Why couldn’t he bring himself to just say yes, to tell Ace that he wanted to be with him like his body was screaming?

  
He had leaned against the closed door for a solid thirty minutes after Ace had left, staring at his phone and wondering if he should call Robin. Or Nami. Or Vivi. 

  
He had decided against it.

  
“…Yeah,” Sanji spoke softly, the air in the jam space hazy, and he was already regretting having lit up indoors, among other things, “My apologies, dear Robin, but that is all I’m willing to share.”

  
Robin tilted her head to the side, empathy oozing from her knowing gaze. “Very well,” She hummed, “But please understand that I am always here to talk to. You don’t have to weather your worries alone, Sanji.”

  
He shot her a pained grin, “Thank you, my sweet Robin, though your angelic ears deserve to hear the melodies of songbirds instead of my selfish woes.”

  
“Sanji,” She narrowed her eyes, “Remember what we talked about.”

  
“Sorry,” He sighed, “Thank you for the offer, but I don’t feel like talking right now, friend that I certainly _do not_ place on a pedestal.” 

  
Robin nodded with a smug smirk, “Much better.”

  
Then, Nami and Vivi waltzed in with the boys in tow, and he was immediately on his feet, swooning, “OH! BEAUTIFUL VIVI! STUNNING NAMI! WHERE HAVE YOU SWEET ANGELS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?”

  
Both women careened into him, throwing their arms around his torso as they tackled him in a breath-stealing hug, simultaneously crying, “SANJI! WE’VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”

  
“Seriously, school is so not as fun without you,” Nami whined, “Vivi and I are stuck with Torao and he won’t gossip with us.” 

  
Vivi nudged her in their mess of limbs, chastising, “Shush, Torao is perfectly enjoyable company in class.”

  
“She lies,” Vivi whispered in his ear.

  
He saw Law roll his eyes, though he lifted his tattooed hand to wave at Sanji from across the room. “Good to have you here today, man,” The other teen spoke, catching Sanji off guard. Since when had Law been so chatty?

  
“SAAAAANJI!” Luffy cried before rocketing himself into their group hug, Chopper scurrying after him with a similar shout. 

  
Zoro nodded to him, retreating behind the drum kit in the corner of the room without so much as a glance at Robin. 

  
So, that was still going on, was it?

  
Sanji remembered the day they had recorded the song had been tense. It had just been the three of them, and Robin and Zoro were at each other’s throats the entire time. Zoro had been quick to argue that the song was too slow for him to come up with an interesting drum beat, while Robin had snapped back that there were more ways to make a drum part unique aside from hitting things as hard and loudly as possible. Robin had come up with a rather melodic bassline, and Zoro had insisted that it distracted too much from the guitar part of the song. The only time they had seized bickering was to record multiple playthroughs of the song until they had one they could submit with their application.

  
After Zoro had left for the evening, Robin had filled him in that they had fought over doing this behind Luffy’s back. 

  
In Sanji’s personal opinion, it sounded as though Zoro had been far too harsh to his girlfriend, and he completely understood Robin’s reluctance to interact with him until he apologized. Just because the idiot had sucked it up and helped them out, even though they hadn’t involved Luffy, that didn’t give him just reason to be excused from brutish behaviour. It was just as much Robin and Sanji and Zoro’s band as it was Luffy’s, and the fact that the drummer hadn’t sided with the bassist, and was still not on talking terms with her apparently, had the guitarist extremely disappointed in someone he thought he could trust. 

  
How dare the green-haired monster hurt his precious Robin? For the sake of the oblivious dumbass who had himself _and_ Robin, _and_ Nami frustrated with his stubborn insistence that Law write their song for a deadline that was days away? Was it really worth it? Did he truly believe in Luffy’s (current lack of) leadership that he was willing to step back from the very relationship he had _jousted_ Sanji over?

  
He could feel the band falling apart around him, and it was terrifying.

  
“Did you bring me any food?” Luffy whined from the exterior of their group hug.

  
Squirming out of his friends’ eager grasps, Sanji grumbled as he wandered over to his backpack, tugging out an insulated bag and tossing it to the frontman, “Yeah, yeah, here you go, you glutton.”

  
As Nami, Vivi and Chopper cat around the coffee table, tugging school books and binders from their bags to start on their homework for the weekend, Luffy and Law set up their instruments, the former moving slowly as he shoveled forkfuls of pasta into his mouth. Robin and Sanji pulled themselves to their feet, joining the rest of the musicians at the other side of the jam space. 

  
“Where’s Usopp today?” Sanji asked as he slung his guitar around his torso. 

  
“Figure skating competition,” Chopper chirped, chewing on the eraser at the end of his pencil. 

  
Vivi snorted muttering about how he was avoiding Nami, who had been unreasonably hard on him lately, while the latter scowled and rolled her eyes. 

  
Chopper was a sweet angel who was too pure for this world. 

  
Once everyone was ready to get on with the practice, Luffy’s paper container of pasta licked clean and discarded in the garbage can, the bottomless pit of a human piped up excitedly, “Alright, Torao finished our song! So, let’s finish it up and get that application in, then we can kick all the other bands’ asses!”

  
Sanji and Robin exchanged a shocked glance, all eyebrows and parted lips. Zoro exhaled loudly behind the drums, and when Sanji turned to scowl at him, he was met with a smug grin. Asshole.

  
Robin mouthed a question to Sanji while Luffy discussed the best way to divide up the parts of the song with Law. He shook his head and shrugged in response. They were going to have to go with the flow. 

  
Luffy instructed Sanji to step aside so that Law could take his place to show him the new song, as the latter had been practicing the instrumentals with the band more often than he had. He took no offense to this request, as he was simply more interested in hearing if Law’s final product was better than the song he had come up with.

  
Besides, he was about ready for another smoke. Lighting up his cigarette, he sucked on the butt as he leaned against the back of the couch.

  
After Law addressed Robin and Zoro with surprising confidence, speaking briskly and sternly as they nodded along to his words, he took his place by Sanji’s microphone and led the group into the song. The familiar jingle of the guitar in the intro echoed around the room as Zoro pounded the drums and Robin grooved on the bass. Luffy jumped up and down, filling out the gaps in the sound with his guitar.

  
Law stepped up to the mic and started singing the never before head lyrics, Luffy chiming in on occasion with backups that they had clearly already discussed and harmonies that they had already written together.

  
Sanji’s smoke nearly fell from between his lips.

  
Goddamn.

  
Fuck.

  
Shit.

  
Goddamn fucking shit, the song was good.

  
It was energetic and full of spunk and had gang vocals and a quiet build up in the bridge and a counter melody in the outro and ever so catchy and DAMMIT, LAW! 

  
He was torn. 

  
On one hand, this song was certainly more likely to win them the Battle of the Bands, and it was in Sanji’s favour that Law had written something good, as he had joined their group with his recommendation. On the other, it made Sanji’s song look like garbage, and would he really be able to do it justice the way Law did? Would Luffy take the lead vocals and himself the back ups? That would probably be the best course of action.

  
He made eye contact with Robin across the room.

  
She fixed him with that neutral, yet somehow completely understanding stare that ensured him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

  
“So?!” Luffy jumped up and down on the spot, “What do you guys think!? Isn’t it good?!”

  
Law shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring at the carpet.

  
“I think it’ll be a hit,” Zoro rumbled, “Good going, Torao.”

  
“Well done,” Robin mused, “It is certainly catchy and uplifting.”

  
Luffy turned those big brown orbs on him, enthusiasm radiating out of every pore, “Sanji, what do you think?!” 

  
He sighed, blowing cigarette smoke out of the corner of his mouth, “It was good. I think we can win with it.” He caught Law’s eye from where he leaned against the back of the couch, having removed his guitar and offered up Sanji’s spot by the microphone. Nodding curtly towards the quiet teen, he added, “Glad to see you really did have it in you, Torao.”

  
With an excited cheer, Luffy pumped a fist into the air, ushering Sanji back into his place and rambling on about him taking the backups while he fished a folded paper bearing the lyrics out of his pocket. He shoved the sheet into Sanji’s hand, and as Sanji skimmed the lyrics for the song, he couldn’t stop the frown that grazed his lips.

  
He wondered if Luffy knew the story Law was telling in the words written across the crumpled paper. There was so much heart. He was truly throwing himself into the song, and had been confident in his display of the vocals, not even flinching at the deeply personal thoughts he had woven into a catchy melody. He had sung his song like he meant it, because he really did mean it.

  
Robin had been right. This was what his song had been missing. 

  
They ran through the song without Law a few times, until the moment that Robin and Sanji had been dreading inevitably arrived.

  
“Oi, Nami, Chopper! Can you guys record us? I wanna get a good video for the application, and one we can post on Instagram as well. You know, like a sneak peak,” Luffy snickered, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

  
Nami and Chopper nodded, moving to join Law by the couch, phones at the ready. Vivi leaned over the back of the cushions, awaiting one hell of a show, as they always _brought it_ whenever a camera was pointed at them.

  
Robin stared at Sanji. Sanji winced. Robin shook her head.

  
It was now or never.

  
They had to rip the band-aid off.

  
“Luffy, uh… Shit,” He started, stumbling over his words as soon as those hopeful eyes turned on him.

  
Robin nodded in encouragement.

  
“Luffy,” He tried again, lifting his hands from his guitar. The sweat of his palms was making the neck sticky. “We received our acceptance email for the Battle of the Bands this afternoon.”

  
“Huh?” His face furrowed in confusion, lips in a define pout as he argued, “But how? We haven’t even applied yet.”

  
“We…um,” Sanji shot Robin a desperate glance.

  
“Sanji wrote a song and we recorded it on a day that he was available, sending off the application to ensure we met the deadline,” She spoke levelly, making him wonder why she hadn’t just been the one to break the news in the first place, “We heard that we have been accepted minutes before you arrived here today.”

  
Nami lowered her phone, gasping in surprise. Vivi was watching him carefully, a certain pride shining in her brown eyes. Chopper, always one to avoid conflict like the plague, immediately busied himself with a mobile game. Law seemed completely disinterested, lounging against the back of the couch like he didn’t care whether or not they made it into the Battle of the Bands.

  
Actually, that did make sense. It wasn’t like it was important to him or anything.

  
Luffy blinked slowly, “Sanji? You wrote a song?”

  
“Yeah,” Sanji inspected his fingernails, “Yeah, I did.”

  
“Why didn’t you tell me?”

  
He shrugged, “Are you really going to tell me that you would have been down to work with a song that wasn’t written by Law?”

  
The jam space was silent. Robin watched Luffy intently. Zoro glared at Sanji. Sanji sought back up from Robin. Luffy looked between Sanji and Law. Law seemed entirely apathetic from his place on the sidelines, next to the extremely concerned Nami, Vivi, and Chopper.  
It was physically painful to be in this room right now, as if the tension in the air wielded thousands of tiny swords, poking everybody with the sharp blades.

  
“We agreed Torao would write the song,” Luffy frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. 

  
“No, Luffy, _you_ insisted he write the song, despite us saying we would be willing to work on something,” Sanji shook his head.

  
“So, we agreed,” He argued, confusion flashing in his eyes.

  
“Luffy, we never actually agreed that we wouldn’t give somebody else a chance,” Robin pointed out.

  
“But Torao’s song is really good.”

  
“You saying I can’t write for shit, Luffy?” Sanji growled, "I got us into the Battle, didn't I?"

  
Luffy puffed his cheeks out in frustration, “It’s just… I haven’t heard Sanji’s song.”

  
“And we hadn’t heard the completed version of Torao’s song that you two were clearly finishing up without us,” Robin mused, lips twitching into a frown.

  
There was a clatter as Zoro angrily beat the snare drum in front of him, letting off some steam. Nami flinched and Chopper let out a surprised yelp. The drummer hissed out an exhale before grumbling, “Can we just move on from this and get to practice? We’re in the Battle, aren’t we? Doesn’t matter how we got in.”

  
As if he only just remembered his _best friend’s_ existence, the frontman turned giant, hurt eyes onto the green-haired teen behind the drum kit. Sanji could see the gears turning in his head. They had needed drums to submit a song. 

  
“You too, Zoro?” 

  
The soft, sad words were swallowed by the silence of the room.

  
“Not my choice, Luf,” Zoro grunted, turning his head away to glare at the wall. 

  
Robin’s calm and collected voice rang out, “Luffy, we’ve been playing without Sanji for weeks now because he’s been busy. You were busy when Sanji was free, and we needed to get our application in. We didn’t mean for there to be any hard feelings.”

  
“But why didn’t you _tell_ me?!” The teen in the yellow baseball cap shouted, hands balling into fists, “This is _my_ band!”

  
“See, that’s the thing, isn’t it?” Sanji scoffed, “If it’s your band, you can go play the Battle by yourself. See if you can win without bass, drums, and lead guitar.”

  
“That’s not what I meant!” Luffy protested, “Of course you guys are important! Without you… Without you I can’t make it big with this band!”

  
Robin’s cold eyes softened as she watched the distressed frontman try to figure out what was going on. “You’re young, Luffy,” She soothed, “And easily distracted. I understand why you’re angry with us, but we were simply trying to ensure our spot in the Battle.”

  
There was a pause. Everyone waited with baited breath (except for Law, who seemed downright bored at this point – why was he still here?!) for Luffy’s response. Was he going to forgive them? Was he going to thank them for submitting the application in time and saving his ass?

  
The only sound was Zoro’s impatient foot bouncing up and down on the hi-hat peddle, adding a soft clinking noise to the awkward atmosphere.

  
“Okay,” Luffy breathed, nodding steadily, “We’re in the Battle, because you guys have my back. I can’t do this without you.”

  
A synchronized sigh of relief echoed around the jam space. 

  
Zoro paused his fidgeting, eyeing Luffy with surprise. Robin hummed in satisfaction. Chopper was whispering excitedly to Vivi, about how he knew this wouldn’t be the thing to tear the band apart. Nami was watching Sanji carefully, as if she was fully aware that he wasn’t done yet, that he was still angry. 

  
She was right. 

  
There was only one thing left to be decided, and it would set in stone whether Sanji would participate in the Battle of the Bands or not.

  
“But, I want to do Torao’s song for the Battle of the Bands,” Luffy stated, an air of determination and finality to his words.

  
Zoro hissed through his teeth.

  
“Well, fuck me, right?” Sanji snarled, “What if I want to do my song?”

  
“No,” Luffy shook his head, “Torao worked hard for us. We’re playing his song.”

  
“And Sanji didn’t?” He heard Robin murmur from across the room. 

  
Bless his darling Robin. What would he do without her? 

  
In a spur of the moment decision, frustration coursing through his veins, he tore his guitar from his torso, snatching the power cord and shoving the instrument into the canvas case that he had hid behind his amp. In silence, he tugged on his sherpa lined jean jacket, slinging the guitar onto his back and grabbing the handle of his heavy guitar amp with both hands. 

  
“Sanji…?” Chopper’s big eyes were watering.

  
“Where are you going?” Nami frowned.

  
Zoro huffed, “Oi, shit cook! C’mon, it’s not a big deal. We just need to win.”

  
Sanji stopped on his way to the door, his lips curling over his teeth as he snarled, “It’s a big deal to me, moss-head! I put effort into a song to get this band into the stupid fuckin’ Battle and _you don’t care.”_

  
Robin’s blue eyes gazed at him with deep comprehension. She didn’t question his decision. She simply encouraged, “You need to do what’s best for you, Sanji.” 

  
As he hauled his equipment out of the jam space, he snapped at Luffy’s bewildered expression, “Well? Don’t you have anything to say?”

  
Luffy stuttered over some consonants, but no full words escaped his mouth.

  
“You want to play with _Torao_ so badly? Go ahead. I’m done.”

  
The door slammed behind him, reverberating through his veins like the swift beat of his heart. His fingers clung to the strap of his amp as he shuffled down the street, stumbling slightly due to the weight hanging from his arms. His breath came in short bursts, and though he was inclined to blame it on the laborious trek in the frigid Canadian cold, he knew the emotions were bubbling to a head deep inside. 

  
He just barely made it to _The Baratie_ before the tears started to fall.

  
Entering through the staff door, he placed his coat and gear in the staff room before grabbing an apron and covering his street clothes. He immediately took refuge in the prep hall, slicing up peppers for vegetable garnish. The loud hustle and bustle of the kitchen lulled his busy mind into a focused trance. The soft whisper of the steel blade as it slipped through the tight skin of the bell pepper occupied his brain, reminded him that everything was okay, that he had all the time in the world to figure it all out.

  
So what if he had just left the band? It was bound to happen eventually, wasn’t it? 

  
He wasn’t a little kid anymore. Luffy had been adamant that he wanted to make it in the music industry, and Robin and Zoro had been vocal about that future being an ideal situation despite having backup plans, but Sanji had always envisioned himself with his own restaurant in the future. 

  
That didn’t mean he didn’t love being the guitarist for the Straw Hats, though. He had always figured he could do both. The likelihood of really becoming famous was so slim, he had assumed that he would be able to do his own thing and play with the band on the side as they slowly booked less shows and began to move on with their lives.

  
Thus, what would have happened if Sanji had stayed and they had won the Battle of the Bands? What would he have done? The prize was a three song EP recorded by Shanks himself in _California._ Would he have been expected to pick up his life and move out to the West Coast for a couple weeks? What if they made it big after that?

  
Would he have been told to put his dream of his own restaurant on the backburner?

  
The restaurant next to the Firehouse… Zeff and Garp could take care of the kids…

  
Not like that would ever happen though, as he hadn’t texted Ace since their date, and the man had clearly been trying to give him space to think. 

  
Why hadn’t he just said yes? He clearly wanted to continue seeing the handsome freckled man, and yet his insecurities, his fear was screaming at him that no one would ever accept it, that his friends would mock him, or pity him, or see him as something unlike himself. 

  
He felt as though everything he ever knew to be a part of his self-identity was slipping away at an alarming pace, and he wasn’t quite sure what problem to tackle first.

  
He just had to breathe.

  
Breathe in, slice a pepper, breathe out.

  
Breath in, clean out the inside of the pepper, breathe out.

  
Breathe in, julienne the pep –

  
“Eggplant? What are you doing here?”

  
Sanji looked up at his father with swollen, pink eyes and tear stained cheeks. He sniffled. 

  
Zeff wasted no time dropping the bin of dirty pots and pans from the line in the dish area, rushing over to push the knife out of his son’s hand and wrap him up in a tight hug. The comforting, strong embrace of his old man rendered him into a weepy puddle of Sanji goo. He buried his nose into the stark, rough fabric of the kitchen whites that the man wore, not even bothering to complain about the braided moustache tickling his glistening cheeks. 

  
“Hey,” His father murmured into the shivering mop of blond hair against his shoulder, “Shhh, it’s going to be okay.”

  
Sanji’s whole frame heaved as he desperately shook his head, his forehead rolling against white fabric. Everything smelt like smoke and oil and grease and herbs and garlic and home. 

  
“What can I do to help?”

  
Sanji’s voice was thick, his throat coated in phlegm as he whimpered, “Just… Just let me work for a bit.”

  
He relinquished his hold on Zeff’s uniform, taking a step back to wipe at his eyes with the back of his hands. Immediately scolding himself, he stepped over to the nearest hand washing station. Don’t touch your face when you’re working with food, idiot.

  
Looking his son up and down, Zeff stroked one side of his braided moustache, blue eyes narrowed in contemplation. Sanji could feel his gaze boring into him as he shakily cut up the peppers, just willing the attention to be diverted elsewhere. 

  
He knew his father didn’t know why he was upset, but he hoped he would understand that throwing himself into the thing he loved most would calm him down. 

  
“Alright Eggplant,” Zeff chuckled, “If you want to work, then _work._ I expect a taster of a new concept for a tuna dish in an hour.”

  
Sanji mustered a grin as the old man rounded the corner to return to the line. 

  
He should have known better than to doubt him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Drowns in conflict*  
> The drama! The immaturity! The heartbreak!  
> What's going to happen next?!
> 
> Find out on Sunday, for real this time! I'll give you a little hint - the boys break it all down over lunch. 
> 
> ALSO IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN, the amazing [@BorealBones](https://mobile.twitter.com/borealbones?lang=en) drew some art for Chapter 17 (Coma Kid) and it's so wonderful that I cried when I saw it so I strongly suggest going on back to check that out!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Huge thanks to my muse [hireath_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraeth_chan/pseuds/hiraeth_chan) for beta-reading this chapter and giving me constant reassurance and support. I don't know what I'd do without you <3
> 
> Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on [tumblr](https://aspiringtrashpanda.tumblr.com/). I'm always looking for feedback and friends :)


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